Until We Rule the World
by 115SecretsToUnveil
Summary: Tanya Dreiser is a German who has been turned into an uncaring, self-reliant woman through years of fighting zombies. She is bent on 'ruling' her palace where she 'reigns' over the Theater of the Dead. What happens when four men, seemingly teleported out of nowhere, land right in her domain? One in particular intrigues her, and she feels conflicted on how to react.- RichtofenxOC.
1. The Queen in Her Domain

_**Dear readers,  
**__**I wanted to wait to write this, but I went ahead and did it anyway(I wanted to strike while the iron was hot!). I mostly wrote this to try out an entirely different writing style than the one I'm using, and for fun. Heh...blame all of these romance fics for sparking my desire to write one. **_

_**I'm willing to take suggestions on this! This will be a Richtofen/OC story. If you don't like, you are free to leave - haters **_**not**_** allowed! I will take CONSTRUCTIVE criticism. Notice I didn't say destructive!  
**__**This story will also contain humor(hopefully). Still interested? Then read on...**_

_**Before we begin, I want to promise you that my OC is **_**not**_** a Mary Sue, Plain Jane or whatever term you prefer for a wholly uninteresting character. She is completely insane, kind of like Richtofen, just different, calm and more subdued about it. She is German, and thirty-six years old, but is beautiful with raven-black, long hair and grey, stormy eyes. She calls the zombies fools affectionately!**_

_**Note - this story is not in any way connected to The Will of The Ancients, my other story I'm currently working on. And thus, the storyline on here is DIFFERENT!**_

* * *

**Intro/Prologue**

_I stared into ferocious yet gorgeous emerald eyes. __He spoke to me in German. "Why, Tanya?"_

_"Because, I never had a reason to love before. I could never find a king. It was always me...the queen. Ruling her palace all alone, I never realized what was out there." I explained, feeling an unfamiliar feeling of sadness. I was never sad! What's wrong with me?_

_"Do you still want to be queen?" _

_"Yes."_

_"Would you kill for it?"_

_"Yes, I will, and I have."_

_He leaned close, eyes glittering. He looked curious and insecure at the same time. I'd never seen him like that before._

_"Do you regret that?"_

_"Never, not for a moment."_

_"Would you kill that little girl?"_

_"Yes" I whispered._

_"Would you kill me?" He breathed. The question caught me by surprise._

_I thought for a moment and knew my answer, "No."_

_He tilted his head, frowning, trying to understand me. "Why not?"_

_"I'm not sure. I tried back at the palace. The theater. But I couldn't. Something won't let me pull the trigger, and when I finally did, it never hit." I, too, was confused at this._

_"Do you know what that something is?" He leaned closer, I did too. Our noses touched and electricity shot through my entire being, making me giddy. I giggled at the feeling. It reminded me of the time I had found a crate of champagne at the theater and had a little to much._

_"No, But trust me, I will soon..." I kissed his thin lips, to my surprise, he reciprocated. Hesitantly at first, then more confident. I felt terrific joy, more fierce than that I recieved when getting a delicous kill. Oh it was marvelous, exquisite, otherworldly. My face heated and I felt like I'd left this universe. Words...can't...describe..._

_**Woah, too far for you? Sorry, I got exited. Let me slow down a little bit and take you back!**_

Thoughts from Tanya Dreiser - In Retrospect.

_I ruled that theater. It was my palace. My secure zone. Well, as secure as you could get in a zombie-infested world. You might ask about the fools. I'll admit they were a slight nuisance, but I kept them in their place. They wer-are my followers, if only they hadn't wanted my flesh so bad! My name is Tanya Dreiser. I was ruler of that foul theater. No one could ever take it from me. Not even that bitch Sam. I was the one who chose to leave it behind. Why? You ask. Well, let me start at the very beginning._

* * *

Chapter 1.

The Queen in Her Domain.

I stood up from my bed, stretching and yawning, my muscles tensing up and then working themselves loose. My head throbbed as the blood rushed through my skull, making me dizzy for a moment. I blinked and slowly collected myself. I rolled my shoulders and my face muscles stretched in a happy grin, thinking of the various activities and games I had planned for today with my fools.

I pulled the rough, aged fabric of a Nazi jacket over my lean shoulders, buttoning up the brass buttons and adjusting the leather belt. I slipped into the grey pants of a soldier outfit, completing my attire as I pulled on my boots up to my knees and strapped on the leather grenade belt, which was fully loaded and ready for action.

My brain sent a message surging through my body to my leg muscles, the nerves sparking in the tiny cells. Telling them just what to do, the power of the mind is an incredible thing. It has utter and total control over your entire being. It breathes life to your emotions, actions, and creations. All in the span of nanosecond, leaving you to take it all for granted and never question it. In just about just a day, my whole mind was going to be in for a loop with me dazed and uncertain why I did what I did. My muscles responded instantaneously, stepping forward in acknowledgement to my mental command, and I strode confidently forward, not knowing that I would, soon, question my own mind's motives. My motives

Imagine a mind powerful enough that it could have such absolute control over many bodies, all of them eager to serve. If only the fools would respond to my unhesitating mind. See, I'd already tried to give them telepathic commands. Either they were too stupid to hear, or they just couldn't because of that little brat that controlled them now. She loved yelling out all types of things in that ugly demonic voice of hers. Ughh, I hated it!

I walked across old floorboards, my ears registering sound waves put off by the aged wood and my brain translating it into something I'd understand. My nostrils flexed, pulling in the dank, disgusting air. My brain told me that I was smelling blood, death and decay. I loved that smell, It put my mind at ease, like a gentle wind. I'd been accustomed to it since I was young.

I saw the old building around me. Taking in the micro-cracks and the larger ones, spanning the old paint-work. The wounds in it revealed the decayed wood underneath. Plaster was crumbling to the floor like forgotten soldiers, slowly dying in battle, falling for nothing. A Nazi swastika banner adorned the far wall over the barricaded door. Chairs, tables and benches lay across this door to keep the naughty fools out.

I stared into a glass mirror hanging on the wall left of me, spider web cracks flowed through it like a river valley, and it was dirtier than the zombies' clothes! Even so, I could just see my foreboding, storm-cloud eyes full of life and... You know, I'm not sure what else. It was just me. Gorgeous queen, yes, but still just me. And I saw my bloodstained self in this very mirror every morning. I observed raven black hair, loose and draped over my shoulders like a cloak. I reached back and began to carefully tie and braid it back, using the help of a tiny string and almost-ruined brush on the desk.

Just me. Alone in this bloodsoaked empty palace. I take that back. Me alone with my fools. I smiled and laughed softly at this and finished with my hair before turning away and walking toward the unperceived part of the room.

I halted my approach before my choice weapon, leaning delicately on an aged wall in the shadows created by sunlight filtering through barred windows over my bed. A deadly Dragunov Sniper Rifle. Fully and faultlessly upgraded at that beautiful, blue machine, with a label declaring: Pack-a-Punch.

My muscles answered my brain again as my knees bent and I wrapped my fingers around ice-cold metal. I admired the shining beauty for a moment and grinned bigger, face twisting once again. The air swished as I shook my head and my hair danced behind me like a happy fairy. I leaned my head back and laughed at the pure simplicity of this life. Kill or be killed. I was Queen of Death in my own domain. I knew the rules, but longed to manipulate them. I knew this life, but longed to change it. I knew my place, but soon I'd be above it. How little did I know that I would soon be thinking different things.

I pulled my shoulders up, taking my favorite weapon with me. I straightened to my full height, the vertebrae in my spine lining up neatly as my brain sent out countless impulses in my body. I was ready for another day of delicious slaughter. And hopefully, someone undead would here my mental commands to join me.

I worked for a couple of minutes to uncover my doorway, pulling away the wooden chairs and tables, face serious again but my joy no less.

I stepped out onto the balcony of the theater room, staring out over the ruined auditorium, my eyes missing nothing. I saw the parts of the ceiling that had been collapsed into the rows of seats below, leaving a broken chandelier in the mess of destroyed chairs. The only place one could actually walk was right down the middle of the room, where the original aisle had been. A large curtain on stage hid the strange Nazi machine I'd seen there from once pushing my way behind it.

All was deathly silent.

I turned and continued into the room just outside the old bathrooms. They didn't work, trust me, I know. I made my way towards the main lobby, wondering where the undead were.

Suddenly, I heard a noise. A faint guttural growl came from a boarded window in the lobby room.

The first wave of the living dead were coming. I could hear their decaying, rotting fingers cunningly prying the nails of the boarded windows loose. Then, a jerk of moldered muscle as they yanked the planks free, staggering under their own tugs. Bumping into each other like complete idiots.

I longed for them to follow me. To be my stumbling fools.

I heard a scratching sound and looked down the steps of the lobby veranda to see, in the blue light emanating from the Quick Revive machine, a rotten corpse crab-stepping through a torn-up window into the front lobby of the abandoned Nazi theater. I stepped lightly down the stairs, balancing my weight so that I was as silent as a cat. My arms responded instantaneously to what I was seeing. It never checked in with my consciousness as I squeezed the trigger on my shining sniper, it just responded to my extra-sensory impulses.

I watched the crimson blood spray, a rose-red display of beautiful brutality as its cranium shattered into tiny fragments. The headless corpse collapsed next to the teleporter pad, its neck spilling scarlet liquid on the stringy carpet. These undead things, they didn't seem to feel it. Yeah, they screamed every now and again as they died, but i think its more of a reflex than anything.

"My beauties, If only you'd answer me!" I called to them in German as more followed the first, hoping beyond hope. They didn't slow their besiegement of my palace, of my theater. They continued to climb in through the windows, oblivious to everything but the living flesh before them. I took several more heads before a group attempted to corner me next to the front counter.

I reached to my belt and seized a grenade, ready to explode rotten flesh, blood and skeleton all over the walls around me. My forefinger and thumb deftly pulled the pin and I drew my arm back. I launched the grenade at the oncoming dead. The gunpowder-filled ceramic container bounce off an undead skull, making the zombie stumble for a moment and fall against its dead brethren. The grenade rolled amongst their feet for a moment, and then exploded on the unaware corpses. Bits and flesh splattered all over the walls and floors, painting them red.

I laughed and cheered at the fountain firework display of gore. I soon finished up with the last in that wave with some delectable headshots.

* * *

I was walking along the balcony in the main room, wondering what my next move would be, when a buzzing sound filled the room. A flash of whitish blue light illuminated the lobby room. I blinked away light spots in front of my eyes. I walked in slowly to see what game Samantha was playing now. One day I would find her and...I found myself staring at the four men that had just been deposited there on the teleporter pad.

I ducked back and remained out of sight as they stood up.

The first one I observed was an American. His ice-blue eyes fiery with a deep-set hate and anger. He looked like a man with a personal hit-list. He wore the typical outfit of a U. S. Marine which was dirty and blood-covered. He had a couple of scratches on his face too.

Next, my eyes landed on the heavy-set Russian, his eyes half closed. Wrinkles in his face indicated that his age was higher than my own. He had a weighty sack on his bag, and a Russian hood over his head, the Soviet hammer and sickle woven into it indicating his nationality. He also wore a Russian Soviet military outfit, his clothes also soiled by gore. He lifted a bottle to his lips and took a deep gulp of it, sighing pleasantly.

Now, my eyes observed the Japanese man. He wore a standard, military-issue, grey Japanese jacket - this was also bloodied up - and a formidable steel katana dangled at his waist from his belt. He had a cap that failed to cover up his determined, hard-set eyes, and his mouth was a grim line.

Finally, I turned my attention to the last member in the group. He was tall and thin. He wore a tan, blood-soaked Wehrmacht uniform, a Nazi armband proclaiming that he was a German Socialist. The part of his hair I could see under his cap was greying. His face was gaunt and pale. But when I saw his eyes, they seemed to burn with a fierce inner light. A gorgeous, lush green, full of ferocity and insanity. I felt comfort upon seeing him. It was as if I had just seen someone I knew. It was a strange turn of events, but it also alarmed me.

Because, trust me, everyone I knew was dead.

I backed silently away, trying to decide whether or not if I needed to end their bitter lives with a well-placed sniper bullet.

* * *

_**End of Chapter 1...to be continued.**_

_**Whoa, this woman's got some serious problems! What'd you guys think? **_

_**I'll try to update this as often as possible. But until I'm finished with my other long story, this one will be updated sporadically(Hopefully often). **_

_**Reviews? They might help inspire me...**_


	2. Conflict in my Soul

**_Thanks xMechaSheikx and VenusAmorette for the reviews. It makes me very happy! And thanks BarryBookton so much for the story fav/follow. Thanks xRosexInxThexSnowx for the follow! Hope you all like the second chappy as much as first. Here it is!_**

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Thoughts from Tanya Dreiser - In Retrospect

_Anytime I had the chance to kill him, something would happen. Then I realized why I couldn't. Well, maybe not that soon. Still, I had a taste on my lips...not yet though. Aghh, I must slow myself down. I apologize for my eagerness. A queen is impatient by nature. Here is where things change..._

* * *

Chapter 2.

Conflict in my Soul.

To observe the four men better, I settled out of sight into the shadows at the top of the tall stairs near the double doors leading towards the bathrooms.

They began to collect themselves from their strange daze, probably caused by teleporting. They stared around and took in their surroundings.

The American blinked a few times. "Ughh...where are we?" He grunted, rubbing his blonde head.

The German spoke, his heavily accented English strange to me. "_Vhen_ are ve?" He was looking around at the Nazi banisters and I had the impression from the look on his face that he knew exactly where he was.

'When are we?' he'd asked. Time-traveling, the sort of thing that was right up that demonic girl's alley. Although, I got the feeling that these men had no friendly relations with that little brat. Their clothes indicated that they'd been in fights with the undead somewhere else before coming here.

The newcomers did what all newcomers would logically do, they investigated their environment. The American knelt and touched the bloodstains, his finger coming away red with life's most precious liquid. I knew they were now aware of another presence in the theater, the fresh blood was testimony enough.

"Hey guys, it's still wet. We aren't alone." The Marine concluded to the others. The Nazi stared intently at the bloodstains, smiling faintly.

"You scared Dempshey?" He taunted in his heavy accent. I noticed that he carried a Ray Gun in hand. Lucky bastard. I would have had one too, but that bitch and her stupid teddy bear took away the mystery box after I gained the Dragunov. My pride was still injured by that.

Dempshey...I stored the name in my brain for possible later use.

"No dick-doc, just observing while you're doing nothing good. Either way, it's kick-ass time." Dempshey responded.

Dick-dock, what could that possibly be short for? I figured I'd not store that name away, it didn't sound legit to me.

Dempshey stood up, raising his gun and resting it on his shoulder. I recognized it as a Lamentation, or an upgraded Galil. They must have come from somewhere that also had one of those wonderful, blue, upgrading machines. It made me that much more curious, and worried.

"Shut up bastards, my head hurts." Moaned the Russian at them, draining his bottle and throwing it on the floor. The glass shattered in to thousands of little, shiny pieces. I felt a sudden rush of anger like fire washing through my body.

How _dare_ he litter up _my_ floor with _his_ trash!

"Russian, honor you lack!" Growled the Japanese man as he stirred from his daze. He stretched out his body, blinking a few times. I noticed that his face seemed sort of paltry, like he had seasickness. Can someone even get teleporter sickness? I wondered. The Samurai blinked a couple more times and then moved towards the front counter under the balcony. I soon lost sight of him from where I was crouched.

"No one cares about your opinion, Takeo!" Called the Russian after the Jap.

I committed the second name to memory; Takeo.

I took a deep breath and tensed up all of my muscles. Then, I slowly released them from head to toe and let out my breath, allowing my anger to dissipate like fog in the sun. I couldn't let anger control me.

I had business to do.

Inwardly, I acknowledged that I had to protect my palace. I was the queen here, and this was my home. I had to kill them despite my own curiosity.

I would take out the German first, I decided. I could tell he was the one holding this strange band of men together. Maybe the Russian should go first though, since he'd just done a big no-no. No, the German would get a quick, merciful death while the others would run around blindly in misery until my fools feasted on them. Maybe the German would even become one of my fools. The thought brought a smile to my lips and excitement to my heart.

My arm muscles flexed and I raised the rifled scope of the Disassembler to my eye, honing in on my target. I took a deep breath, lungs stretching to hold all the air, heart pounding in anticipation of watching more blood spray. True blood from a living vessel, not the dead blood from long-deceased corpses.

Would it look different? I felt my pulse accelerate even more. I honed in on the German's face. Blood roared in my ears and my hands felt sweaty. For some inexplicable reason, I hesitated. Staring into those destructive, merciless, yet insanely happy, emerald orbs of his. I was...ready to watch his skull shatter, and blood fly. No...I couldn't...uhh, I mean, YES. Pull it together Tanya! I argued with myself mentally for a couple of seconds.

I suddenly heard a moan next to me. I spun around, my nose alerted me to the stench of decayed flesh. I saw a rotting carcass lurching toward me from the right.

Trying to get me while I was distracted, I see.

I yanked my rifle up, but if I fired it, the men would know I was right up the stairs from them. Not good. So, I lunged forward instead and hit its head with the butt of my rifle to minimize the noise. Its skull dented under the blow and it fell to the floor, twitching and moaning. I casually kicked its face several times, drenching my grey military boots in crimson.

I heard gunshots and machine gun rattle and looked down from the veranda to see the four men being chased by zombies. I hissed in annoyance as they were chased into the room under the stairs shouting and firing onto my fools.

I'd missed my chance. Well, on the bright side, at least they hadn't been chased up the stairs towards me.

I turned toward the side room where I could access the balcony in the theater room. I stepped casually over the corpse with the smashed-in head and made my way to my hidden room on the balcony, deciding it would be best to stay in the queen's chambers for now. I entered my 'headquarters' and barricaded the door with various furniture pieces.

Samantha hated how I could escape her wrath in here. I smiled at the cold, barred window on the wall over my bed.

I wondered what I would do about these new people. It was an interesting problem, one I thought I could fix with a good rifle shot. Perhaps, though, they would just move on, but to let them go was something I couldn't do.

It was strange seeing survivors after so long, and they looked like they were WWII soldiers. It'd been years since WWII, in fact that's when the zombies first showed up. I ran a hand through my now-grimy, raven-black hair and sighed. It would have to wait awhile. I Walked over to my bed and dropped down on it, allowing myself to sink into the old mattress until I felt it would fall through. Fortunately, It never did. I patted my Dragunov and sat it down next to the bed, leaning it on the wall.

"My sweet Nova." Nova was my name for my loyal Disassembler, or upgraded Dragunov. "If the men aren't gone in a couple of hours then you got more work to do." I murmured. Nova was the seat of my rule, and my source of power. I leaned back and, even though I wasn't that tired, fell asleep on the worn-out sheets.

After an indeterminate amount of time had passed, I woke up. I rose from the bed and repeated my usual waking-up routine of stretching, fixing my hair, and considering my plans. That's when I remembered the men and my mind sent a shockwave through my body, making me more annoyed with the uncertainty I felt right after.

I approached a drawer and pulled it open. I proceeded to dig amongst its various contents before pulling out an air-proof can. I had a quick meal of canned meat and beans scavenged from the abandoned town weeks ago. Afterwards, I uncovered my doorway again and left the room, walking up some steps that I hadn't taken in a long time up to the roof. I closed the door leading outside and locked it behind me. I used this door when I needed to get around the theater more quickly and I kept the door locked to keep the fools away. Now it seemed I was keeping those men away from my roof, too. I was certain that they were still here, it was just a hunch though, but I trusted my honed instincts.

It was dark outside and the wind blew my hair back from my face. I found myself gazing out over a huge city shrouded in blackness, all was silent. I went to a particular spot on the roof where a hole was at, hoping to get the drop on one of the men. I lingered over the hole in the roof, listening for the sound of zombies, or the men who'd entered. I heard nothing. Hopefully they were all gone. The men. Not the zombies. I was still determined to make the fools my followers.

I dropped gracefully onto the walkway in the lobby after a quick glance and more listening. I walked quickly into the MP40 room where I practically ran into the Soviet. I was coming down the stairs while he was kicking at the Speed Cola machine and muttering curses. He was making the most annoying racket! I noticed that the dummkopf had left his FN FAL on the table nearby. He heard my approach(Surprisingly) and turned toward me.

I aimed my rifle right between the Russian's wide eyes before he could even move. Ugh, he was very ugly up close with all those saggy...ahem, never mind.

"Ohhhhhh...this is just like last time I had supper with second wife!" The drunk complained, raising a bottle to his lips and chugging at it like there was no tomorrow. For him, I was sure there wouldn't be. The strong scent of alcohol filled my nostrils and I wrinkled my nose in disgust.

"Be prepared to die, drunken idiot, zhis is for zhe mess you made in zhe lobby...und your intrusion." I growled in accented English, ready to shoot.

"Stop right zhere, girl." Hissed a deadly voice. I spun my rifle at the newcomer.

The German glared at me over his Ray Gun. I glared back at him, we were at a stand-off.

I reverted to German. "Why would you care about a Russian when you are German, especially one from WWII?"

"I need him." Hissed the German and he stiffened. "Now lower that weapon or else."

Nikolai suddenly bellowed, "Now Richtofen's here? What are you two saying? Nikolai cannot understand. It's like listening to...to...two people talking behind back...and...Fucking Fascists...uhhhhhh..." He groaned and drank again from his bottle.

Stupid idiot, I thought. I taunted at the German, "My sniper bullet will be quicker than your plasma shots." I snarled.

"Vomen!" Hissed Richtofen, in English now. "Und if you are going to shoot zhat Russian you vill regre-" He suddenly cut off, eyes wide as he dived aside. My gunshot rang in the air and a scream of pain emitted from the Nazi. He laid on the ground, clutching his bleeding leg.

Damn, I'd only grazed him. He was suddenly raising his Ray Gun, though, face pissed off. Shit. I turned as quickly as I could and sprinted off quicker than a bird, diving behind a table. It splintered apart as the plasma burst tore through it. I rolled behind the drinks counter near Speed Cola. Trying to get a shot back.

"AHHH Fascist! that almost hit me!" Nikolai yelped, retreating to a corner.

"Zhen get out of zhe vay!" Richtofen growled, trying to stand up.

I heard demonic laughter. "Fetch me their SOULS." Howled an evil voice. I saw lightning. The damned hell hounds were coming. "OH NEIN!" Howled Richtofen. Something about his voice made my heart stutter.

Why? I honestly didn't know.

A giant hound tore into the room from the stairs. It leapt forward until my bullet shattered its skull and it disappeared in a fiery explosion. I smiled at this.

A lightning strike filled the room and another hell dog spawned about three feet on the other side of the counter. It drooled saliva and its body burned with hellfire. I aimed Nova at its glowing eyes and prepared myself as it charged at me. My bullet made it burst in a storm of fire, fur and bone.

"Send my regards to Sam!" I called as I reloaded.

The German and Russian had backed into a corner on the opposite side of the room, prepared for more. How that man had managed to move so quickly with his injured leg was beyond me. He must of been made of sterner stuff. Or maybe my bullet had done even less damage than I thought. I felt the room rattle as more lightning strikes filled the theater.

Another hound howled from the top of the steps just as one in the dressing room charged in, teeth dripping and body aflame. A plasma shot from the German man's Ray Gun tore through it, making it explode.

The final hound of that batch tore down the steps, launching itself at the Russian and German. My sniper bullet tore into it, destroying it.

Richtofen came looking for me behind the counter.

Too bad for him, I was already long gone.

I could practically smell the frustration from my spot on the rooftop, and I grinned.

* * *

I was in the pack-a-punch room, considering my next move when the teleporter was activated. I ducked out of sight into a side room, peering around the corner of the open door.

That's when the American, Dempshey, showed up, humming faintly. He was completely oblivious to my presence.

He cracked his knuckles as his RPK upgraded in the machine. "Man...I wish we could replace Richtofen with a hot chick..." He muttered wistfully.

"You should be so lucky!" I hissed behind him. He jumped hard and spun, weaponless.

"The fuck! Who are you?" He howled, surprised, realizing his lack of weaponry.

"Doesn't matter. I want you all to leave my theater...if you don't...I will be forced to kill you." I threatened. He spun to grab his weapon and aim it at me, but I was already gone out the back door.

* * *

I thought that was going to be the end of it, but no, a day had passed and still they hadn't left. I decided I was going to take matters into my own hands.

I watched the German carefully from my position on the catwalk far above the stage. Richtofen. He didn't know I was there, which I found exciting. I clutched a Bowie knife, thinking of the kill to come. The sniper just wouldn't do this time. I wanted it to be up close and personal after earlier. I moved silently and scaled down the ladder as swiftly and quietly as a hawk. I heard him muttering to himself in that strange way of his as I drew closer. Soon, he would be no more. His calf had a clean bandage on it that looked fresh, probably from where I'd grazed him earlier. He was barely limping now as he paced, a scowl on his angular features, so I figured he'd live that wound even though it was an apocalypse.

He wouldn't live this next wound, I thought, smiling. I dropped deathly quiet onto the floor and waited, heart pounding with anticipation.

I approached, silent as a cat in the moonlight. Unfortunately, my foot bumped a bullet casing shell on the ground. It rolled away, clanking merrily as it went. Why did that have to happen?

He spun around, eyes wide. His MP40 was aimed right at my heart. Damn. This was it, I thought, so I rushed forward, intent on sinking my blade in his thin chest before he could fire his weapon. Somehow, he managed to duck under my lunge and grab my arm, causing me to wrench back around at the suddenness and drop my weapon. Looked like I was going to die in my own palace. How fitting, but that's how it goes.

To my surprise, I realized he could easily have shot his gun, but he hadn't. Before my mind could go further to puzzle it out, he spoke.

"You hate that girl, Samantha?" He asked softly in German, his face taught with anger, staring directly into my eyes. I felt like my soul was being penetrated by the fierce look. I could see all of the lines of his face at this close proximity. Sketch them and have a perfect replica of those tall cheekbones, thin lips, strong chin and narrowed emerald eyes. I could see deep into his own eyes. I saw the pain that no one else could probably see. I saw betrayal, anger, and faint sick joy. Madness is what I saw, in all of its various colors. I recognized it in my own eyes when I looked in the mirror in my room. It was so surprising to see a unique look I always prided myself on having, enhancing my irises colors.

Dominant of his emotions though, was anger, barely controlled. Apparently he hadn't forgotten about my earlier attempt on his life.

"Ja, I do." I whispered in the same language, struggling to break his hold on my arm, "Hurry it up, if you're going to kill me."

Surprisingly, his response was to let go of me and I stumbled back.

Why didn't I just run right then? Maybe I thought that'd provoke a response from his gun which was still trained on me. But he was going to kill me anyway. Right? So maybe that wasn't the reason. Something made me want to do something more than run, to kill. It made me want to...talk? Negotiate. A part of me never wanted to kill this man anyway, I realized. I wanted to learn about him, actually. He was so intriguing.

He tilted his head curiously, staring at me. "Why do you want to kill me?" He asked. I almost laughed after my last train of thought.

I shrugged instead. "You're in my palace, that's why. You don't follow me. You kill my stumbling fools and walk about this place, sleeping, eating, killing like it's yours. I own it and I will fight for it." I explained, it was perfectly logical.

"Yes, I know, but why me? You hesitated to kill the Russian because you knew I would show up." Wow, he knew? Smart, cunning, and...Oh well, it didn't matter now.

I answered. "I'm surprised you got that. All the more reason to kill you first. You're the head, the leader. Cut the head off and the body stumbles about blindly until it dies, too."

He looked at me, suddenly smiling. He lowered his weapon.

"You're a very strange woman..." He concluded. He stared a moment longer, then said. "Do you want to come with me when we go?"

WHAT?! I couldn't think at all for a moment, so surprised.

"Where?" I managed.

"To the true kingdom, where the world is your palace and the armies of the damned obey your every command."

It was like dangling a piece of juicy meat before a hungry dog. Damn I was hungry, too. But suspicious. "You expect me to just believe that?" I asked, incredulous.

"Ja." He said, lean face unchanging.

"Why?"

"Because you interest me."

"Oh, so I'd be your little lab-rat?" I glared.

"Not exactly-" He started.

"That's fine, but no thanks. Here's the deal, if you aren't gone in exactly three days from now...expect a bullet in your spine." I snapped, suddenly angry.

"Wait...reconsider...Do you really want to stay here?"

"Why not?" I asked, genuinely curious.

"It's so small, and..." He trailed off suddenly, his expression darkened. "Nein, better not. Women are distractions, and I can't expect you to understand even though I thought you would. Fine, we will leave before the three-day deadline, Girl."

"It's Tanya." I snapped.

"Doesn't matter. Now go before I decide to kill you. We will be gone soon! In the mean time, I don't want to see you." He snapped, eyes smoldering angrily. I did not know why he was so angry all over again.

I started to leave when he called out to me, "If you must kill someone, then kill that American."

I left the stage without replying, heading down the aisle back toward the lobby.

* * *

End of chapter two!

She's being stubborn again!

I know its Dempsey and not Dempshey, but that's what Tanya doesn't know...

So, what all do you want to see next chapter...I'm willing to take ideas and use them!


	3. Bring Me 115!

_**Thanks xMechaSheikx for the fave/follow and review! Thanks wet86 for the follow! And thanks to anyone who's reading this! I apologize for the slow update. I meant to post sooner, but as I've said before, this will be updated more sporadically than I'd like. **_

_**I apologize for any errors!**_

**NOTE**_** - **_**When you see this **_*!_**  
****Know that the Elena Seigman song, 115, is starting. This chapter is a songfic in the last half. Hope you guys like it!**

The song parts will be in _italics!_

* * *

Thoughts from Tanya Dreiser - In Retrospect

_After our heated...discussion, it's hard to believe that things would change, right? Even then, I was headstrong and unwilling to leave my theater. I think, though, that a small part of my soul was changing. It was acknowledging that I'd never control the fools from my theater. I'd been here for so long with no success. I remember summers, winters, falls, and springs passing, so I know I'd been there for years, struggling to control the fools. I was there even before I tried to control them, too, but I try not to remember what went on then. So, all I needed was a push..._

* * *

Chapter 3.

Bring Me 115!

I could not sleep this time in my chamber, which I'd just returned to. For once in a long time, my heart was in turmoil.

He'd offered me a chance at the world, and while my brain told me that it was a lie, my heart was saying that it didn't matter whether or not it was a lie. I could still have a chance at ruling the fools completely. The way I wanted to.

I stared out my window as reddening light spilled over my eyes, wondering why I was ready to move on. I'd been here for years. I blinked a few times, wishing I could sort myself out.

I twiddled with my old hairbrush, contemplating the circumstances, which had not been good for my mood. I lay on my back, working long black hairs out of the bristles and twining them around my fingers in boredom. My blood-stained jacket arms crumpled as my hands worked at the tangles in the brush.

I was deeply annoyed for many reasons at the intruders. Even if they moved on, more could easily come to take their place. It was an agitating thought. Although, it was unlikely.

The last living people I'd seen before them had been before the apocalypse.

Dempshey, such a strange name, such an angry man.

Takeo, that guy was as Japanese as rice and sushi. Granted, I'd only seen him once.

Nikolai, I didn't like him. Litters in my theater, drunk as anything, and more stupid than a fool.

Richtofen. His eyes were more wild than a hungry lion's. He's as hard chiseled as a statue. He's insane. Just like me.

I considered their actions as well as a group. They worked surprisingly well together, even though they didn't even like each other. It made little sense to me.

The first thing they'd done wrong upon exploring the theater was turn on the power after I'd turned it off weeks ago. I'd learned that it kept the gas fools away. The power was like a flame and they were like a moth. It brought the gaseous crawlers here quite inevitably. But now that was their problem, until they left, then I can turn the power off.

Unless I went with them.

I rolled out of my bed, setting my brush on the mirror and once again gazing at my stormy eyes.

"What do you want, really?" I asked the unsettled woman in the mirror.

"I don't know for sure." She responded. I sighed and looked away. I was apparently not being very helpful.

I left since I was not tired in the least bit. There was somewhere I wanted to visit.

I was sure I'd find my answer there.

* * *

I balanced high on the crumbling watch tower of the Berlin Wall, the sentry turret here probably hadn't been manned in years. Rust coated most of it in a sheet of flaking, brown and orange metal. The walls in the turrets nest, which were iron, were in no better condition. The orange color pleased me, for it reminded me of drying blood in the sunset.

I loved blood. And Sunsets. It signified the ending of one thing, so that something else could begin. I loved the end and beginning, because usually the in-between was boring. Like me running around my palace every day waiting for the end when the sun set on me ruling the fools.

I leaned into the skyline from a window, stepping out onto the narrow ledge, daring my foot to slip and plummet me to the bricks and concrete below. The breeze tugged almost playfully in my hair and the sunlight filtered through the black curtain, coating it in orange and red like fire on coal.

I spent about fifteen minutes, balancing on the ledge, watching the sun sinking into the cityscape.

I stepped back into the sentry nest and off of the edge, feeling exhilarated.

I knew my answer, but I still didn't. I was certain that I would do the thing that I truly wanted when the time came. For now, my heart held the secret from my mind. Which was fine by me.

I wanted to never leave this place, true, but I was tired of doing absolutely nothing but the same thing everyday. And there was nothing I hated more than security that would trap me here forever. It was better just to take a leap of faith sometimes and see what hand your dealt by the fates.

That man, Richtofen, looked like he'd been dealt every hand possible and lived to tell about them.

Almost like me.

I turned away from the brink I'd just stood on, both mentally and physically, smiling happily.

My heart would lead me right. When the time came, I would be dealt the ace of spades.

For now, I'd keep my poker face until I was ready.

I lithely climbed down the ancient ladder on the tower's side and onto the road. I saw not a single undead as I ran back towards the theater. I reached the outside of the dilapidated cinema, grabbed a ledge, and pulled myself hand-over-hand up to the rooftop. While I loved it up here, it wasn't as high up as the sentry tower I'd just come from.

I loved heights, the danger they represent and the bravery. Also, the pure joy of being on top of the world was fantastic.

About a few months ago, I travelled allover Berlin to find the tallest tower I could and stand as high up as I could get. I fought through many zombies and nearly died on the adventure, but it'd been well worth it when I found the right place.

A complex know as Park Inn. I had fought my way up countless floors of undead, just to reach the top.

Let me tell you, I had never loved a glorious view more.

* * *

_*!_

_ No one can see me and I've lost all feeling and I know I won't die alone. _

I was on the balcony, watching the four men rush onto the stage, turning every now and again, guns blazing to life. They mowed the fools down, leaving zombie puree on the floor. Painting the stage in perfect scarlet. Gorgeous.

_No! More forgiveness!_

The German screamed at the top of his lungs, laughing and enjoying this display of violence very much. The others cheered and laughed too, but it was different.

_No! _

Richtofen enjoyed the slaughter in a way they never could, in a way no one ever should.

_And the reason is; I know I wont die alone!_

Which was exactly why I liked him...I mean, What?!

_I'll stop you from breathing and all your deceiving._

The roof shook as more gas crawlers descended on the building. Samantha was not pleased at all it seemed. Though, if it were me, I'd summon some hounds to go with the crawlers and walkers. Did that girl have no imagination? Maybe she didn't have the strength to do that.

_ And this house is not my home!_

My sniper killed the crawlers spilling down the walls with perfect precision. My palace! Not hers!

_I have returned!_

Samantha was going to pay with every zombie that died here. Every fool that should be mine!

_And everyone dies and everyone lies._

Dead crawlers rained from the ceiling around the soldiers standing back-to-back on the stage, firing their weapons on the horde around them. More zombies came, summoned by Samantha from whatever corner of hell she found them.

_They're waiting for the second coming again!_

More zombies began to claw their way through windows and the threadbare carpet, howling desperately for the one thing they wanted; flesh. Really, they were simpletons.

_Everyone tries, to hold onto their lives!_

My bullets landed with practiced ease, shattering skulls and raining small fountains of brain matter.

_When no one's alive, bring me 115!_

I caught a glimpse of the four having just decimated the horde. Piles of limbs, heads, and torsos, all torn, scattered the stage beautifully. The ground shook as the fog rolled in yet again.

_You stand for nothing,_

**_"Fetch me their souls!"_**

_and overlooked something,_

I sprang suddenly from the balcony, my adrenaline pumping through my body and making everything feel slow. I didn't know where this instantaneous fire in my stomach came from. But I was ready to go on a killing spree!

_I'll bring you down all on my own!_

I landed, flexing my leg muscles to make sure my fibulas didn't snap from the fall. I rushed toward the stage eagerly, Nova in hand and ready for action.

_I'm the end I can taste it I'll justify hatred_

I sprang onto the rotten boards as the first hound spawned right next to me on my left.

_I am the chosen one left hand of all that's sacred!_

We both turned at the same time, both just as eager for one another's blood.

_No! More forgiveness!_

It lunged, jaws wide, and quite by incident, my rifle jammed into its mouth, lodging in its throat.

_ No!_

It struggled as I fired, the bullet tearing up its insides.

_ I'll bring you death and pestilence!_

I yanked my Nova back, smiling gleefully at the spout of blood. It died from the wound, collapsing heavily onto its side. I looked up to take note of the others' positions. The four soldiers had scattered across the stage, fighting the hounds coming after them.

_I'll bring you down on my own._

A group of ferocious hell dogs sprang onto the stage from the theater aisle, howling and snarling for human flesh. I stared down my sights at the closest one and fired my rifle right into its brain. It exploded in fire. I noticed that I was going to have to reload, but I didn't have time to. So, I placed Nova quickly but gently on the turret steps.

_I have returned_

I sprang forward and my bowie knife struck out at the monstrous animals, slicing through one's shoulder and catching it's attention. It rushed at me and I dove forward to meet it, aiming my deadly weapon at its head. It died before it could realize its mistake. One sprang up from behind me and I ducked and did a swift roll to my left dodging its attack. It twisted around as I sprang forward, my knife plunging downward and lodging into its burning eyes. It fell over as I ripped forward, a scream tearing from my throat as the blood spattered across me.

_And everything dies!_

I crouched where I was and snarled as another dog sprang forward onto the stage. It plowed over bodies and up a mound of corpses and limbs, staring down at me, its mouth drooling saliva.

_Look to the skies to see the end of all creation again._

Flies of various breeds seemed to be drawn to the corpse dog. It snapped its jaws and howled at me as its body tensed.

_See with your eyes my army of flies._

I jumped up and ran up the pile of corpses as the hound sprang down at me, mouth agape and its teeth yellow as an infection. I held my knife out in front of me, imagining it as a spear as the beast staked itself upon it, writhing and howling in pain. The creature's weight made me fall backward onto the carpet of bodies, I saw rotting fingers in the corner of my eye from a fool.

_When no one's alive bring me 115!_

I struggled with the dead weight pinning me to the floor. I was in a pile of corpses, blood spilling all over my green Nazi jacket, warm and slick. For just a moment I panicked.

_I've lost all form and unity_

For a moment, trapped in a cage of death, I swore I saw familiar eyes staring into mine from the corpse to my left. The eyes of the last person that had been torn from me. From life. I turned and stared into its empty eyes tiredly as my initial fright vanished for no reason at all.

_Where has my life gone?_

I felt sudden inexplicable anger rising into me. It filled my entire being. I'll kill that bitch for taking him from me!

_I'll bring you doom that you can see._

I managed to push the hound's corpse off of me and onto the pile in front of me as I sat up. I wiped my blood drenched hair from my equally red-coated face as I gazed at the body's scarlet liquid draining onto the floor.

_And bring you down to see you bleed!_

The mound of bodies seemed a lot bigger while I was on the floor.

_And everyone dies._

I heard an angry scream from Samantha as I noticed the last dog explode in green plasma about twenty feet away. I stood up quickly, muttering under my breath as the fog dissipated. I knew she was not pleased at my continued victory.

_And everyone lies._

Our continued victory.

I looked over at the other soldiers regrouping. They were blood spattered and their eyes shone brightly with excitement. I saw the Nazi glance at me, his eyes taking in my blood-drenched, covered form.

_They're waiting for the second coming again._

He began to walk towards me, his eyes burning with something. Questions. So many. Too many.

_Everyone tries to hold onto their lives._

I jutted my chin defiantly at him, daring him to ask me just any of them.

_When no one's alive Bring me 115!_

To ask anything at all.

_And everything dies._

I stared into venomous green eyes that glowed with an emotion that seemed unique to the insane class of the human race.

_Look to the skies._

He cast his gaze around the theater and the pile of corpses, his face stony and abruptly unreadable. He asked just one of them.

_To see the end of all creation again._

"What do you see, Tanya?" He remembered my name, even though he said he cared not to know.

"I see an ocean of corpses." I answered, my voice fierce and somewhat defensive. I wasn't sure why.

_See with your eyes._

"A wasted army, feasted upon by the worms." He murmured whistfully. "Is what I see."

_My army of flies._

I saw that, too. I understood what he meant.

_When no one's alive, bring me 115!_

I should be where that girl was, she'd made me like this. So much insanity inside.

_And nobody cries when everyone dies and no one's alive!_

What I wanted was power beyond these four walls of my palace. Nothing less.

_BRING ME 115!_

* * *

_**End of chapter 3.**_

_**Did you like the songfic thing I put in there?**_

_**That's one of my favorite songs from zombies! Anyways, tell me what you think. I had a lot of fun writing this chapter.**_


	4. Smoldering Ashes In the Rain

_**Hey everyone!  
**__**Again, with the slow updates I know, but I will get around to updating more quickly one of these days :) Thanks, Minastauriel7 for the follow and xMechaSheikx for the review :) Hope you all are having a great day and that everyone reading likes this chapter.**_

_**So this chapter is slightly strange - just so you - **_**;p**

* * *

Thoughts from Tanya Dreiser - In Retrospect

_From that point on, things changed for me. I didn't notice at first...but I was torn inside and conflicted. It was the part of me that hated the fact that I was helpless for the most part. I killed and killed, over and over again with nothing gained. But it didn't have to be that way forever...I thought hard on it and experienced it all. I allowed my heart to decide, even if I thought that would cause me to regret it all. Finally, I can take a deep breath and slow down a little._

_After all, I was only living a beautiful lie. I wanted to bring truth to my world...and much, much more..._

* * *

_**Chapter 4**_

_**Smoldering Ashes In the Rain**_

Truth be told, I did not want to be standing on the stage right then, even with the bloody carnage surrounding me. I felt uncharacteristically drained, and I had no desire to speak with anyone. Besides, I tended to do extra-strange things whilst tired.

I won't go into that right now. Let's just say that it usually wound up with me howling a ridiculous song like a banshee that made even the zombies hesitant to attack me, or me making little teddy bears out of zombie brains...I mean clothes. Seriously.

I was trying not to stare at the German too much, which was next to impossible. He stood a few feet away and watched me with an expression close to expectation. He was covered from head to toe in blood and gore and he couldn't have been more h...I mean, whatever.

I turned away from them all, trying not to meet anyone's gaze without good reason, my heart pounding from the recent exhilaration.

I started to leave, hoping I could escape without the questions. I stepped forward, which seemed to unfreeze the moment.

Unfortunately, the last person I wanted to talk to, the American Dempshey, called, "Hey, I saw you earlier! In the Pack-a-Punch room. Who are you?" He demanded.

I met his gaze evenly, irritated at his rough voice. "I'm Queen of this palace." I answered, annoyed. He only looked confused.

I saw Richtofen staring at me all too intently. Like I was a lab experiment.

I finished my stride and began to walk quickly away, speeding up as I went.

I thought about my current state with annoyance, because as fun as it was to get completely gore-covered, it would not be good to let it dry on me. The thick blood felt good while you were being drenched by it in a deadly, fierce fight, when it was warm and comforting. But not afterward. Now it was just sticky and cold, annoying.

I needed a shower, I concluded as I adjusted my jacket.

I heard a sudden whoosh of noise as I marched down the theater aisle, like a ferocious wind and realized the top of the theater was being thoroughly pounded in rain.

Perfect timing.

No one called me back as I made my way unhindered to the lobby and walked outside into the storm, sighing tiredly to myself. Rain slammed down coldly on me, running over me. It felt good and cleansing as the water under my feet turned red with the blood it was rinsing off of me.

I shrugged out of my jacket to my undershirt and carried it to a red car to the side of the road as more red washed away. The diluted blood looked like liquid fire as it raced through the cracks in the road. For a moment, the sun peaked through the clouds far away, casting red light on the bloody water, making it burn. Then it was gone, and the rain poured harder like it was weeping.

I spread my jacket out and waited patiently for the sky to wash it. I took off my boots and military pants as well, laughing at the thought of me standing in the rain waiting for my laundry to wash...in my under clothes.

I was out there for maybe an hour. Sometimes singing, sometimes dancing and sometimes sitting and frowning at some dumb insect trying to fly through the raindrops.

Finally I settled down on a stone wall. As I stayed there, being drenched well past what was necessary, I recalled things I'd forgotten. I closed my eyes as I allowed myself to remember a scene that I'd once pushed away.

_A ridge-lined, soot-coated face, yelled, "GET AWAY! SAVE YOURSELF, TANYA!" _

_I was surrounded by fire, flames licking the air greedily, desperate for the two lives trapped within the burning box of death. Our house._

_"DADDY, WHY? COME WITH ME!" I yelled at him._

_"I can't move..." He gasped. He was trapped under the burning beams, but I couldn't understand._

_Then someone was dragging me away, fighting and crying as the smoke choked me. I saw the fiery building collapse around me as I blacked out._

_"It's okay. Tawny...it's okay." Someone was whispering comfortingly._

_But a terrible word filled the suffocating air. "ZOMBIES!"_

I was about ten when I'd lost my father to the fire. The town I'd lived in was descended upon by ghastly monsters with rotting flesh and determined stumbling strides.

Samantha's monsters. I try not to blame her for that particular incident. After all, it was the clumsy panicking of my family that caused the fire.

That caused my father's death. I can't even remember who'd saved my life that day.

Not my family's clumsy panicking. Mine actually. It was just me and my dad then if I remember right. I knocked over the candle while trying to gather my stuff and my life went up in flames. I felt bitterness...it was really my fault. I shuddered and forced it all away. No need for all of that.

I opened my eyes and stared into the rain forming puddles on abandoned cars and on the cracked road where grass grew between the cobblestones. I rubbed my eyes, tired.

I stretched as I stood up, grabbing my clothes and making my way to the double doors. I opened the one on the right and walked through into the lobby, dripping and wet. I shook my clothes out and made my way up the steps, careful not to step on anything sharp.

My mind flicked over the memory again.

I don't care about that anymore, I told myself. That was a long time ago and I was young. I'm mature now. All I want is to control the dead and change the circumstances. Change it so it would turn the tables on Samantha.

I wanted the fools.

_"A wasted army..."_

That couldn't be more true.

What did that little brat need an army for anyways?

* * *

That night, I dreamed of fire.

Silently, I walked through a burning city. The polluted, smoky air did not bug me as much as one might think. I watched the ashes rising on drafts of hot air, twirling rather happily into the gray sky. All was dead and silent. I moved forward, walking slowly the ashes swirling about my feet, still warm and glowing ember orange in some places. My boots clumped quietly on the soft bed of the physical representation of burned hopes. I moved along the soot covered cobblestone road, my eyes roving over the street signs that blew, tattered and unreadable, in a hot breeze.

The buildings were grey-streaked and falling in, smoke drifting from the ruins. I wondered if anyone was here.

If anyone had survived.

"Tanya!" Someone called to me. I felt joy in my heart and turned towards that voice. I saw my father staring at me from where he stood on the side of his street. His arms and face had vicious burns on them and his eyes seemed to shine brightly. His voice showed no sign of any agony, though.

I tried to move. Tried to think. Tried to speak. I could do none of those, only stare into his gray eyes miserably.

"Tanya, it's okay, dear." He said gently. "It's not your fault."

Suddenly, I could speak. "Isn't it?" I responded tiredly.

"No...it's not...things happen. You just got to move on."

"You're safe now...right?"

He nodded. "You aren't alone, Tanya. I will always be watching you. I know that the situation has changed your mind...but it will never destroy your heart. Do what your heart tells you, my girl." He said, fading out of view like a ghost, his form evaporating like a mirage.

I was confused. "Wait!" I called but he was gone.

"YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME AGAIN!" Nothing happened as the blistering wind blew down the road, ruffling my hair as I fumed in anger for the simple emptiness.

I continued my endless traipse down that long cobblestone road. It felt like a long time, but finally something happened; another voice called to me. It wasn't anyone I expected, though.

It was that man, Richtofen.

I turned toward him, staring into roiling green eyes.

I approached him and stopped a few feet away.

He said. "Tanya...you want power...you want the world...you want to control the undead. But you are burdened. You can't have what you want if you forever walk down this road. You will wind up right were you started and I won't be there the next time you walk by." He smiled at me maniacally.

"How do I know your promises aren't false? I'd rather walk this road, knowing my way then stumbling in the dark after someone I don't even know until a trap falls and snaps my neck." I responded, determined to not be pulled into something I didn't want to be pulled into.

He smiled bigger. "I'm not lying Tanya. No-no-no-no, Eddy is not a liar. Even if he were, let him say this: You aren't safe on this road anyway. Even if you know your way around it. They will get you one day without you ever getting that power...when you grow to old to fight. Will you give all that up for a security that's false? Security is life's greatest lie, meine frau. This, I know better than most."

His expression darkened and his face evened out, no longer smiling. He turned and began walking down a winding alley behind him. I followed, uncertain. He shot a quick glance at me over his shoulder and I caught the faint hint of a new grin there. A completely different kind of grin. One full of blood and power lust. My heart stuttered.

At the end of the alley, the ashen city abruptly ended as if a invisible barrier separated it from this part of the world. Outside was rolling, green, gorgeous hills. They were the color of_ his_ eyes, I noticed.

He turned toward me, lean, sharp face grim. "They will be yours, Tanya, if you leave this place. Otherwise this dead-end, burning city that is your palace, your home...will be your tomb. Unless you choose differently." He said, pointing out over the hills. At first, I wasn't sure what he was talking about, then I saw them.

Hundreds, thousands, no millions of the fools flowed over the green hills, flesh rotting and bodies barely hanging together as they stumbled along. They seemed to pick up speed, long arms working for propulsion, rotten muscles held up by an invisible force.

"Oh, it's so beautiful." I murmured.

They came right up to us without the slightest hesitation, I almost reached for Nova, which I realized I didn't have. Then they stopped mere feet before us. They drooled, growled, twitched in very animalistic ways. They clawed at one another occasionally and sometimes grabbed their own heads, howling angrily. I was speechless. I could reach out and touch the closest one if I desire.

"Go on, Tanya, command them, it's what they live for." Richtofen urged me in a surprisingly low voice. I searched his venomous gaze, looking for a hint of what he was trying to do.

I found nothing to make me hesitate. In fact, they prodded me on like spurs, demanding and cold.

I did something I'd been wanting to do for so many years. I turned to the monsters lined up in ragtag formation and called out, "Kill everything!"

They snarled in agreement and turned back the way they'd came, howling for blood and pain. My fools obeyed me...I was joyous beyond words.

Obeyed me...not that girl.

"Do you doubt me now?" Whispered a voice at my shoulder. I turned, feeling a desire to laugh at the blood lust in his eyes. He was well pleased with the order I'd commanded.

I cared not though, they were _meine_ fools.

"You want this Tanya?" He said, seemingly closer somehow.

"Yes." I stated simply.

"Then all you have got to do is come with me." He leaned back and slowly faded from view, just like my dad from earlier.

Suddenly, though, I wasn't happy anymore. I could almost see my father shaking his head at the order I'd just given.

He'd once said, "Tanya, do you know why unrest shakes our land?...because someone's always willing to take what they please, with no thought of others."

"How can you hate Samantha so much when you're no less a monster?" I murmured to myself, conflicted.

I saw that the fools had stopped and started clawing at each other in confusion as the land around them turned to an ashen waste as if a fire had just swept through it.

Just like the city.

"They have nothing left to kill." I realized. I raised my voice. "Come...serve your Queen!" I yelled. They stopped their clawing and turned toward me.

"Find me a heart...a heart to lead me to the right place." I commanded.

The fools stumbled in confusion and then howled at me angrily, as if they couldn't fathom what I was asking.

Then one of them approached me, it's eyes burning ferocious red. I wondered vaguely why its eyes were a different color.

It hissed and held out its hand to me, long claws curled around a beating heart. I saw the hole in its chest. I stared into it eyes in understanding.

"Your heart..." I murmured. The zombie made a rumbling noise in its throat, then moaned. He proffered it to me.

"Thanks." I said, accepting the organ, but it shook its head, gargling, irritated again. I tried to understand it but it made no sense.

The zombie staggered forward, glaring at the empty space next to me. It clawed at its face and howled mournfully. I stared, then understood.

"Him..."

The zombie howled in triumph.

"Shit." I muttered. "What does it mean?"

The zombie moaned and collapsed, dead.

"What?" I saw the blue-eyed zombies watching carefully. I'd never seen zombies so calm before.

Then, they began to change, turning to real people whose faces were irate and murderous. They began to pick up broken sticks and anything they could off the ground and began rushing off, charging an invisible opponent in the middle distance.

Only one stayed behind, his body covered in a black cloak, and a bundle in his arm. He didn't look at me as he hunched his shoulders as though it were raining and started off after the others.

I started to run after him, wanting to know who he was and what he was carrying. But before I could reach them, I tripped and plummeted into a black abyss I didn't see before.

* * *

I woke to the sound of thunder. It rumbled loudly, shaking the theater and the walls, rattling the bars on the window above my bed.

I blinked several time, trying to clear my mind of the strange dream.

Then suddenly, I heard a scream of joy from somewhere outside my room. It was like nothing I ever heard. It was the braying of coyotes on the hunt, of eagles dive-bombing their prey, of hyenas ripping a carcass apart. Yet it was also more, it was the crashing of boulders, it was a frothing river, a falling tree, a tornado of emotions.

The most common thing of it all was joy and the sheer purposefulness it contained. The intent to slaughter hundreds of thousands, just so that a million will bend their knees in fear and respect.

It was beautiful.

I slipped out of my bed and stared out the window as drops splattered the glass in vicious torrents.

It was still raining.

I dressed quickly in my still-somewhat-damp clothes, and grabbed Nova, pushing away the barricade of my door with ease. I walked out of the room, closing the door behind me, I moved along the balcony until I was just outside the bathrooms.

I heard zombies howling their lonesome wails and I looked to see _him_ fighting the dead in the portrait room as I called it. His Ray Gun mowed down a small group as he expertly gripped his weapon.

He yelled, "Do you like my glowing green balls?!" His shrill laughter followed and he killed the last one. He knelt, pulling out his knife and began cutting at a zombie with it, hacking away at flesh for no apparent reason.

He began muttering. "Nein, zhis vill never do, it must be intact." I noticed his hand clutched an organ. Maybe a spleen.

"What are you doing, it looks like fun. Can I join?" I commented in German as I walked into the portrait room.

He stiffened and then looked at me with an animalistic glare. "Nein woman! Meine spleens!" He snarled and went back to his task.

I shrugged and cast my glance around the room. I studied the portraits. It's not like I hadn't done that before, but they intrigued me anew because I realized who they were.

"It's you guys." I said, staring.

"Vhat?" He snapped, glancing up and staring at the paintings. "Oh, zhose. Miene is zhe most magnificent." He declared and finally stood up, holding a dark red organ in his hand. It was streaked with purple veins and rather messy.

"Why do you _always_ do that?" I suddenly growled angrily.

"Vhat _now_?!" He responded.

"Speak in English...such a disgusting language."

"I _like my_ voice in zhat language, zhat's vhy." He chuckled boyishly.

I sighed and said, "Why are you carrying a heart? I thought you wanted a spleen."

"How could you possibly...?" He paused and looked down at the organ. "Ah, so it is a heart, how strange. I meant to grab a spleen." He drew his arm back to throw it.

I stopped him, "Wait!"

He stared at me expectantly.

"An organ's an organ..." I started.

"Ahhhh I see, but zhe heart is zhe most basic of all. It simply throbs and throbs and makes blood squirt in vunderbar fountains!" He squealed. "But alas, zhe doctor has no need of such maggot infested trash." He tossed it over the railing.

I smiled, "Really? You prefer to be heartless?"

"Ja."

A pause ensued.

"You've been here before, haven't you?" I asked after a moment of staring into a set of dead zombie eyes on the floor.

He was rather silent. "You won't tell the others?" He asked suddenly in German.

"I won't tell anyone. Why would I? I don't even talk to them."

He nodded. "Well, I was here before, on a project...but that was a long time ago." He murmured. Then he snapped. "But why do_ YOU_ care?!" The sudden shrill tone caught me off guard.

"Because it's my home." I said.

"Verdammt, Tanya! I don't understand you...I must prepare the teleporter if I'm to get out of your...hair." He said staring at my black locks rather strangely.

"What?" I frowned.

He was suddenly much too close for comfort, staring into my eyes, as if he were trying to find the answer to a scientific problem there.

"WHAT?" I yelled at him, rattled.

To his credit, he didn't even blink.

"Hair." He explained, eyes swirling with raging emotions.

Thunder rattled the theater. The blank portrait crashed to the floor, shattering in glass.

"Hair?" I was befuddled.

"So much. I can't...get out...of my own head, Tanya. But the voices..." He blinked seriously.

His blood-coated hand reached up and touched my face, trailing back and running through my blacks tresses. I shivered and reached forward almost like a reflex and cupped his chin in my palm, staring into those mad eyes. I wanted to hold him there until I understood it all.

All the feelings.

"Are you sure the heart isn't a more important organ than you thought?" I asked him tersely.

He closed his eyes and exhaled, looking tired. I could almost feel the deep set emotions burning off of him. Then his eyes flew open and he backed away from me in panic, dropping my hair and blinking rapidly.

"What do you WANT from me?!" He demanded loudly, almost as if he weren't talking to me, and stumbled on a corpse. He turned and stomped away, muttering curses, arguing with himself it seemed.

I shrugged, confused, not quite understanding.

What a pain.

* * *

_**End of chapter 4.**_

_**What'd you think? I actually felt like I didn't do too terrible at writing that last part...but I will most definitely always try my best! :)**_

_**And yay, the cover image scene was in here, too! Did you like it? This story is still open to suggestions! right now anything can happen! :)**_


	5. I Must Be Dreaming

_**Chapter five is out really fast!**_

_**Quick update(Yay to my randomness and eccentricities), I was listening to some music that made me think of this and had a sudden wave of inspiration! My fingers were typing like crazy and I just couldn't stop!**_

_**Anyways...I think you guys will like this chapter. *Smiles deviously* ;} ... I hope ...**_

_**Thanks xMechaSheikx as always for die wunderbar reviews! I liked the creepy face...**_

_**Also the title and ending of this chapter are based off a beautiful song I recently fell in love with(My inspiration)...I wonder if you will be able to guess it. Disclaimer: I don't own that song! **_

* * *

Thoughts from Tanya Dreiser - In Retrospect

_I was left completely unsettled by the experience in the portrait room. He was definitely an enigma. I was uncertain what to think now about the men who'd basically barged in on my palace...which I viewed wholly differently. I could not begin to justify my heart now. First, I'd wanted to kill them...now I wanted to be with them. But I kept telling myself that if I went with them, it was only to gain control of the fools. Nothing else...  
__I was changed, just from a tiny bit of contact with other survivors who were much like me...one in particular who was very much like me.  
The next couple of days felt more like a dream than my vision of a burning city or the horde of fools outside it to command._

_Or maybe not._

* * *

_**Chapter 5.**_

_**I Must Be Dreaming.**_

Richtofen went through the double doors leading to the MP40 room, muttering curses under his breath in German, his boots tromping loudly on the carpeted stairs. I heard a banging noise not long after that was probably a fist hitting a rotten wall. Followed by a shrill voice yelling something.

I stared after him, wondering just what his deal was. One moment it was territorial animalistic hunger, and now it was a wanton childish tantrum. I turned my attention to the cracked and mostly gone paintwork, frowning at the fact that I was standing there with nothing important to do. I traced the men in the portraits with my eyes. I studied_ his_ the longest. He'd claimed it as the most magnificent.

I looked back down at the heart on the bottom of the portrait room under the railing, glistening red In the dull, grey light filtering through the window, like a poor lost soul.

In truth, the portrait was a poor representation of that man, and while it was magnificent, it didn't seem like him. Whoever painted it was a poor artist indeed.

Or maybe a blind one who'd missed the raging inferno of emotions in his eyes. Or maybe you simply couldn't capture that with any set of colors and brushes.

I sighed and turned back the way I'd come, back to the bathroom area, holding Nova at the ready should there be anymore undead.

I heard a noise and froze, staring at the other room, my eyes roving over the bathroom area. I heard the noise again and realized it was the sound of someone struggling to operate a bathroom that hadn't been used for at least a decade.

I chuckled out loud and heard curses that indicated that it was the American.

"Goddamn Nazis can't even make a working toilet!" He cursed loudly, followed by a crash like a stall door falling off its hinges.

I heard the creaking protest of ancient pipes in the cracked, rotted walls as he attempted to flush, which made me laugh more. I actually started laughing so hard as the plumbing moaned in misery, that my body racked with uncontrollable laughter, making me shake. I heard another blatant curse and loud gurgling.

"AWWW! Quit laughin' it ain't funny!" Dempshey snapped as he stomped out of the dilapedated bathroom, fumbling with his belt buckle, face red with embarrassment.

This was great! His icy eyes glared at me, bloodshot, and his blonde hair was somewhat disarrayed, as if he'd just woken up.

Wait...had he been asleep in the bathroom? Nah, not likely. Even I was never that desperate.

"Quite the contrary, Dempshey, it's razher hilarious." I giggled like a little girl.

"Have you been talkin' to that crazy-ass German? Pullin' that 'Dempshey' shit." He growled, stopping a few feet away and finishing with his belt.

"Vhat do you mean?" I asked, confused now.

"It's _Dempsey_, not _Dempshey_..." He explained, agitated.

"Oh." I said. "I just heard him call you zhat und assumed..." I shrugged.

A pause, as we took each other in. It was really the first time I had observed him in a way that did not include locating the best place to shoot and kill. For the first time, I wasn't accessing his weak spots.

"So, what are you doin' here?" He asked.

"I just came from my room und-"

"No, I mean this theater." He swept his arm out and indicated the building.

"I'm living here." I pointed out the obvious...seriously. " And ruling it." I finished and turned from him, casting my gaze on the doors leading to the lobby. I was ready to leave now.

"Ruling?" He questioned.

I started to walk, to my annoyance, he followed me.

"Yeah." I said.

"What in the world does that mean?"

How could anyone be so dumb?

"It means I'm in charge here, I make zhe rules und zhose who don't vork by zhem, vind up dead."

"Sounds a little like someone else I know..." he trailed off.

I shot him a death glare. "Vhat are you _talking about_?" I snapped, suspicious.

He took one look at me and changed his mind rather rapidly. "Uh...nope...no one...I mean - I-"

"I vant to kill you now! I know you meant Samanzha, don't zhink I'm STUPID!" I yelled that last part.

He stared at me with a pale face, mouth moving soundlessly as though he were trying to speak but failing.

"Now zhat's settled..." I snorted and stomped off towards the lobby, floorboards creaking underfoot. I found myself wishing I could kill these insignificant idiots. But I had to keep my end of the deal. Although, honestly, I don't think anyone would care too much if the American was the first to go.

At least no one important...

I worked my way down the steps and found the Japanese warrior, Takeo, carefully nailing boards to the windows with a rock he'd found. He had left his jacket and hat on a table nearby and his white shirt sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. His katana dangled at its rightful place at his side.

As I watched, he hefted a board in place and set the nail, following up with the rock pounding the nail head.

Wow, someone who actually works in this group! Well, worked as far as protection required.

He glanced at me as I clomped down the carpeted steps.

"You are troubled." He noted, continuing with his task.

You don't say?! I thought rudely. Just like that, not even asking who I was even though this was the first time I'd spoken to him. Maybe he already knew...maybe someone had told him.

"I'm alvays troubled." I informed.

"Why? It is hard for one to deal with that all the time. If a warrior can, than he is great, honorable, like the doctor." He nailed the last plank in place and turned his full attention on me.

I answered. "I don't have vhat my heart vants, zhat's vhy I'm alvays troubled."

"And what might that be?" He asked, eyes glittering.

"I'm not sure...I'm uncertain like some little kid." I muttered.

"Then it is for you to discover, and only you." And just like that he walked up the stairs with his rock to nail up the barricade up there.

"I vish I could." I said to myself.

I heard thunder rumble outside, but it sounded more distant than it had before. Maybe the storm was moving on, for I could not hear the rain anymore. I glanced to the faded windows high in the lobby, framed with Nazi tapestries, and noticed that the light coming in was bright yellow, like sunlight unhindered by clouds. Indeed the storm had moved off to pelt some other part of the land.

Everything naturally moved on.

Maybe I should to... To find what my heart wants. That Samurai had just told me the thing my father had said in my dreams.

I decided I'd go to the alleyway, where I could scale to the top of the theater and clear my mind. I let the lobby through the door under the balustrade leading toward the alleyway. I walked quickly through that room and lingered in the open doorway leading out to the outside, breathing in the fresh scents of the outside filling my nose with fresh air. The storm had cleansed the outside and left glittering and shimmering puddles here and there. I saw that the Double Tap machine was glistening pleasantly in the sun, the jingle playing pleasantly but faintly in the background.

I stepped outside and was suddenly aware of a very loud, ugly voice singing. I grimaced.

"~Sunshine returns to meeeeee, annnnnnndddd my wodddkaaa!~" I heard the sound of a bottle tipping and someone gulping greedily at the contents.

Uggghhh! I could hear it all the way from where I stood up the steps from the Double Tap Root Beer machine. The sound of someone smashing into a garbage can made me wonder just what the heck was going on, too.

I tromped down the alley, staring at the man in faded green slumped upright on a black garbage bag that had fallen out of an upside-down trash can. The Russian's bottle dropped from his loose fingers, rolling away from him on the ground. His Soviet outfit was more disarrayed than a sideways table-cloth. His hood was threatening to fall sideways, but his hand moved upward and fixed it slowly.

"NO! Get back here, WODKA!" He fell sideways off the bag, landing on his back in the alleyway, and stretched for his bottle with the tips of his fingers, but only knocked it further away. The bottle rolled away, bouncing off my boot.

I wrinkled my nose at the smell of strong alcohol spilling onto the dirty ground. The Russian looked up at me dully, then his face changed to an expression akin to horror.

"OH NO!" He yelled. "Itsh herrrrrrr." He slurred trying to sit up but failing miserably.

"You should be glad, communist! Vhat did you plan to do if I'd been a _corpse_?" I asked him, stepping back a little and covering my nose.

"Ugh shut up, noisy woman. Nikolai doesn't care." He grumbled, burying his head in his arms and managing somehow to get into a sitting position.

I turned to leave, there was no way I'd clear my head here with his noise and smell.

"Wait..." He said quietly.

"VHAT?" I snapped, glancing at him irritatedly.

"Will you roll bottle this way?" He asked, his eyes glazed and drunk. I saw the bottle nearby and frowned.

"I guess...if zhat's how you vant to die." I said kicking it in his direction.

I was nearly to Double Tap when I heard a scream of horror behind me.

"IT'S EMMMPPPTTTYYYYY!" I heard subsequent crying.

Idiot. I wasn't going to ever get used to that one!

I climbed through the sad excuse for a barricade on that side of the alley and stepped onto the road. I started walking, quickly and assuredly. I needed to clear my mind, so I let it wander as I followed the Berlin Wall further into the city where mist was collecting after the recent rain.

It was Dempsey, not Dempshey, Takeo and Nikolai. I wasn't real sure on my take on them anymore. I was sure I didn't hate them like before. Yeah the American and Russian were idiots, but I could tell that the Japanese man had some smarts and common sense at least.

They were all messed up on one level or another...like me, so I couldn't feel too angry at them.

I now understood why Richtofen had managed to hold them all together so well. Tank and Nikolai were too dumb to realize they were actually following him and the Jap was more than willing to follow the 'honorable doctor'. Although, honorable is the last term I would have used if was ever asked to describe him.

I wound my way through tall buildings stretching into the air, reaching for the sky as if trying to touch the heavens. I eyed them until I'd walked for many hours, kicking a rock and thinking.

It was dangerous to come this far into Berlin without my attention fully alert, but I couldn't help it. I needed to get away from the theater.

Two days and the men would be gone, with or without me. I was thoroughly torn, too.

The palace was my home.

_"Your coffin..."_

Ugh. Why did they ever have to come here? Now I had no sense of direction. The sky was the ground and up was down. My entire stability had been uprooted by a single man whose purpose still eluded me.

I wove through a set of cars on an abandoned roadway, leaning Nova expertly over my shoulder with my left hand. I allowed my thoughts to roam from many things. My plans for the future were the primary process going on. What was I going to do? Leave or stay. I'll admit, I would really miss this dead city and the theater I called my home. My palace.

That's when it happened. The thing that forever changed my mind about my circumstances.

I smelled them first. It was the smell of decay, the wind picked up and wet air permeated with the stench of decomposition. I tore my eyes from the bricks of the road and stopped, crouching behind a car. I froze...for once in a long time...I couldn't move.

Everything was a haze as I took in the horror before me. The mist that had collected after the rain wasn't helping either.

Endless groups of zombies milled in a large square where a courthouse had once been. Little remained on it except the foundation with rotten wood beams stabbing out of the stonework, stark silhouettes in the cloudy atmosphere.

I evened my breathing, wondering just how I'd wound up here on the road, staring at so many monsters. They milled about, jaws hanging loosely, shaking their heads and yellow eyes glowing like lanterns in the mist.

My vision tunneled.

Shit. The moment the wind blew in their direction, I made a noise, or the fog lifted, I'd be zombie food. I was surprised that I hadn't already been caught. I slowly stood up and began to back away, but stopped as I heard a noise behind me.

The heavy shuffling of dead feet. I turned, only to find myself staring at yellow burning eyes about ten feet away. The monster moaned beautifully and stepped toward me. It's rotten arms reached before it, bones jutted out of rotten flesh stumps where finger tips should have been. It growled gutturally and took another careful step, its jaw gaped open and its head shook viciously.

I was rooted to the spot, petrified like a marble statue. I couldn't even bring up Nova for the life of me.

The zombie stopped and seemed to raise its head up a little, arms swinging down to its sides. It eyed me.

I knew I'd been caught. Great.

To my surprise, however, the beast didn't charge at me. It took another hesitant stepped. I could hear the squelch of its shriveled wet muscles and creak of decay joints. It's jaw worked angrily.

I reached toward it with my right hand. "What a beautiful work of art you are." I whispered. "Fool."

It froze at the sound of my voice. It made a noise in its throat as though trying to speak.

I was actually incredibly sad.

It stepped forward again, now within touching distance of me. I'd never let a fool get this close to me. Still, Nova hung limply from me left hand. I allowed my fingers to trail the rotten fabric of the zombie's tattered shirt that hung heavily in the misty fog. I pulled back as it did not react, just stared at me blankly. Then I touched its nose, giggling as the fool shook its head.

Then something happened. It gripped its head with its own bone fingers, gouging into its rotten scalp and tattered hair. It staggered back howling and shaking.

As if it were having something invade its head...its mind.

I could not raise my Nova fast enough as its clawed hand lashed out and landed a blow to my head. I staggered sideways, leaning against a building and gasping at the thick, white fog, my face felt disarrayed as blood swarmed down my cheek.

The fool howled loudly and I heard a rush of movement, like thousands of pounds of fabric, bone and flesh rustling, creaking and groaning in a mighty storm. The fools in the courtyard had heard their comrade in the alley and were coming.

I glanced at the zombie that had hit me and saw it staggering towards me, mouth open hungrily. I raised my Nova and fired, spattering the wall of the building behind it in thick globules of brain matter. I saw lantern eyes rushing out of the courtyard, the sound and stench of death louder and stronger than ever before.

I fired my rifle several times, but my aim was sporadic as my head throbbed.

Screw it.

I turned and stumbled the way I'd come. irritated at my drunken-like state. My head spun and I stumbled on a loose rock, bumping into a car hood and falling against it, hands clawing at the smooth surface desperately. I flung myself on the car and rolled over the hood. I hit the concrete ground on the other side desperately, crawling on the pavement like an insect as my head wacked again it again.

Hardly a fitting way to die for a queen.

I grasped the side mirror of another vehicle, groaning in pain as my vision swam in waves. My sight darkened and lightened to the pulsing of blood in my head, behind my eyes. I hauled myself up, and realized my ears were ringing and the movements of the wakened dead were muffled, as if I were underwater.

I managed to straighten my skeletal frame and muscles as the fools flung themselves over the vehicle in much the same matter that I'd done. Some of the smarter ones just navigated around it though.

I raised Nova, which I'd somehow managed to hang onto, and fired again, my shots rarely killing them. I'd hit an arm, leg or shoulder, and while the little blood spurts were fun to watch, they were gaining me nothing. Not even slowing the determined enemy advancing on me.

They were only a few feet away as I stumbled back and tripped, falling.

Suddenly little bits of zombie pieces splattered my face deliciously as I landed on a car trunk on my back. I slid down to the ground as I heard a familiar _spshew_,_ spshew_, and bursts of green light were visible through my closed eyelids. I heard a sound of many zombies screaming as they died.

I still felt sure I was going to die. Maybe not a fitting death for someone like me, but still a beautiful death no less.

Suddenly, all the noise stopped except for the pounding in my head. I heard human footsteps, not the fools. Immediately, I felt a strong arm wrapped securely around my waist, carrying me rather haphazardly like a sack of potatoes. I felt my head throbbing angrily at me as I was pulled into a secure bridal-style carry.

Someone was there.

"Daddy?..." I whispered deliriously, clutching at the rough fabric of a coat.

"Hardly." Snarled a harsh voice. A beautiful, gorgeous voice.

The German Nazi, Richtofen.

He'd just saved my life...I tried to stretch my aching brain around that.

"If you had wanted to kill yourself...then you should have done it in a less troublesome way." He reprimanded, sounding angry, yet amused too. Was that even possible? Such a stretch of the emotional spectrum. Though, I figured he could pull that off well.

"I wasn't trying to kill...myself." I mumbled, only half-conscious, but less delirious.

He laughed softly.

"Ooooh, of course not," He responded. Sarcastic bastard. "...but I only assumed because that's what I'd do." He responded, I realized he had been speaking German.

"What?" I tried to make sense of it.

"If I were to die, I'd find miene minions in a place where many were."

Had I been trying to die...surely not. I'd thought it was an accident, but I wasn't so sure.

"Why are you here?" I whispered in a faint voice.

"I followed you."

"Why?"

I felt him stop altogether, standing quietly in one spot. I sensed him contemplating the answer. "For reasons I don't understand, Tanya, I'm unable to stop myself from looking out for you." He said softly, then raised his voice. "If you didn't come out here to die, why did you _come out here_?!"

"I was thinking...and then I got lost." I muttered lamely.

He laughed shrilly at that, splashing his way through the puddles forward into the lifting mist.

Not what it seems to me...not what I see. Just in my mind, not in real life.

Once again, I must be dreaming.

Or was I?

If so, dreams were suddenly rather painful.

* * *

_**End of chapter five.**_

_**I don't know about you guys, but I am having fun! I apologize for any mistakes/errors.**_

_**I'm not sure if I envy Tanya or am glad I'm not her. LOL. **_

_**Reviews?**_


	6. To Crave the Insanity

**Hey everyone! Thanks for reading this far...here's chapter 6, I apologize for the super long wait! I will say that I got caught up in life and my other story. Anyways, I'm really excited as I had a lot of fun writing this one. I really do try to stay in character, so I apologize if they aren't right to you!**

**Oh and if you didn't guess on that last chapter song inspiration, I'll tell you: It's called _I Must Be Dreaming_ by Evanescence! I love that band!**

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Thoughts from Tanya Dreiser - In Retrospect

_Man, that really hurt! Getting my head knocked around like that. I would have to remind myself to be more careful in the future. In truth, though, I'm glad that it happened. It brought something around that I really wanted.._  
_I was beginning to understand why I could say goodbye to that simple life in the theater. Even if I didn't know it at the time. _

_I wonder to myself often. Just why did I feel so drawn to him? Answers don't come easily though. Usually, they require strength and daring...and sometimes sacrifices of our self dignity. Soon, I would have that answer, one way or another._

* * *

_**Chapter 6.**_

_**To Crave the Insanity**_

I opened my eyes to the ceiling above me where crumbling plaster dangled like vines in a forest. I felt only soft fabric around me in a very sunken mattress. My head ached with a dull, undulating pain that made me feel sick. I wanted to vomit in all honesty.

I blinked several times as light drifted in faintly through a shuttered window, wanting to chase away my pain, but it didn't help. I sighed to myself, wondering why my brain hurt so viciously. I decided I'd just go back to sleep but then heard the sound of movement in the room, and my mind registered that somehow a fool had gotten into my room. The Queen's Chambers. I shot up instantaneously, making the blood rush to my head like a waterfall as my vision swam. I lunged forward for Nova, which I located with my eyes in an instant where it lay on a low table nearby.

I barely realized that I wasn't in The Queen's Chambers at the theater palace, either.

Before I could reach it, my nerve impulses refused to respond from my aching head. My body went numb and my muscles turned to jelly as I thumped off the bed and onto the floor rather unceremoniously, my vision swimming in darkness. It cleared after a moment and I saw boots before my eyes and my heart pounded.

A fool was mere inches from me I was sure.

"What are you doing?!" Demanded a voice angrily in German from the pair of boots.

I couldn't respond as I stared at the blood covered boots. They stood there, hesitating. I thought I could make out a smiley face in the blood on the side of one of them. I chuckled out loud, amused despite my pain.

The boots muttered something and I saw them turn and stomp away.

Not a fool. A person.

"I need more spleens to deal with this." growled the voice, now on the other side of the room.

Then it hit me like a blinding light turned on in my brain. I remembered now about the men that had come to my palace. I remembered the deadline I'd given them. I remembered how I'd come out into the city, foolishly ignoring the danger. I especially remember how that man had saved my life after I'd wound up in trouble.

Richtofen.

I felt hot anger and indignation flood through my entire being. How dare he follow me! How dare he save my life! How dare he bring me here! Wherever here was.

I blinked a few times and rolled over, staring at the room to determine where I was. It looked like some random, abandoned house. I'd been on a couch, not a mattress bed, where the fabric looked ready to give way. I saw carpeted floor rolling away into a kitchen where the man stood, leaning over something. The end table nearby contained my Nova.

I slowly pushed myself up as I heard the scrape of chair legs and someone sitting down. I managed to straighten to my full height with a slowness that made sure I wouldn't flop around like a useless fish again. I patted myself down to make sure I was in one piece, checking for any injuries. I touched my face where the fool had clawed me earlier and felt...a bandage.

"Interesting." Commented the Nazi, voice excited. "I didn't know until I had a blood sample, but yours contains the element one-one-five! How fascinating!"

I turned and saw him sitting in the chair languidly. He was donned in his normal, bloodstained attire, looking pleased with himself, staring at me with an intent expression. I felt once again like a lab experiment. Which enraged me even more. Not only that, but he had taken _my_ blood and put a bandage on _my_ face! My face! _I_ never gave _him_ permission to do any of that.

"Why the hell did you take my BLOOD! Without the queen's permission. You damn senseless SCHWEINE!" I snapped, stomping towards him and finding my vision clearing as I went. I entered the kitchen, angered.

"Extraordinary! The element has rather interesting side-effects, it seems." He exclaimed, standing up swiftly from his chair, as if he expected to have to fend off an attack, nearly knocking it over in his haste.

"WHAT _ARE_ YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" I shouted, stopping inches from him, fury exploding through me.

"Agility. Mentality. Strength. The element enhances the traits of whatever it imbues. You recover fast, and you seem to be rather strong for a woman. You were only out for an hour after those knocks to your head." He noted casually, frowning at my anger.

"That has nothing to do with the element. It's called endurance! It's called life-effects, not side-effects, Dummkopf!" I shot back.

"Aw, but the blue glow never lies, my dear!" He laughed, eyes gleeful as he held up a small glass tube stoppered with a tiny cork, as though to ward me off. I saw blood in it. It looked dark though, like the fools', glowing a faint blue that was only noticeable upon close examination.

"Mine?" I whispered.

"Yours." He agreed.

"How?"

"I don't know. I was going to ask you. Perhaps the minions did it, perhaps not." He grinned like a kid.

"How come I've never noticed?" I said, tracing the vial with my fingers.

He shrugged, "Maybe it's because you've never paid it any attention. Mine looks the same...and the others...but not as iridescent, like an undead's. It shouldn't even have this high of concentration without you turning...turning into one of them..." He trailed off.

My heart hammered as I realized how close I was to him, my blood pumping through me quickly. I could feel the warmth of his breath and the rather closeness. He smelt like death, like blood and decay. I loved that aroma that many shunned and feared. I tried to focus. I felt dangerous longing in my heart. So long since I'd seen anyone real. Longer since I'd seen anyone who was like me. I could not indulge my weakness, I thought ferociously.

"What's _wrong_ with you?" He suddenly asked as I stared past the vial and into his eyes, provoking my response.

I gripped his coat front with both fists tangled into the cloth. I forced myself to be angry as I glared at him. It felt like I wanted to kill...but not quite. No I was just making myself believe that...but it wasn't even true. I had to stay pissed, or I'd carve a whole new path that I didn't need into my life. I was determined.

He glared at me. "Vhat is zhe meaning of zhis?" He demanded again, in English now.

"Why in hell did you FOLLOW me?!" I snapped ferociously, wanting him to feel my wrath. Why was he even speaking in English? To make me mad? Well, I'd teach him to mess with me. My anger wavered a moment as I felt his hands wrap firmly around my wrists, pulling my hands out of his coat.

"I already told you, voman!" He growled, pushing me back. Away from him.

"Earlier you said you didn't know why!...I don't believe it! Now tell me the truth!" I interrogated.

Suddenly, he laughed shrilly. "You don't _vant_ to know!" He stated, face warring with wild, raw emotions.

I abruptly felt my anger drain away for no reason as I watched this rather unchecked side. One I was becoming accustomed to. I felt proud to be able to pick it out and I actually just smiled at him.

"I do!" I said, a strange feeling inside of me.

He glared balefully and turned away, as though he would rather not face me. I grasped him again by the arm this time and yanked him around to face me. I was going to have my answer! I noted a fleeting look of surprise on his angular face at my strength.

"I think it was-" I started.

"DON'T you _DARE_ Say it! It vas zhe voices, not vhat you zhink!" He screeched, high-pitched, and suddenly angry, yanking away from me.

"You're wrong..."

"Nein! I don't care!" He declared, straightening his coat and swastika armband. He shuffled his feet, uneasy.

"I said before that you shamed me...that wasn't true." I admitted.

"You did?" He paused at his fidgeting, taken aback.

Okay, so I'd just thought I'd said it. But it didn't matter.

"I want something...besides power." I finally managed after a moment of uncertain silence.

"What?" He dared, eyes sparking in challenge. "Tanya..." He warned.

"You," I barreled on. "That's what I want." I exhaled softly. Something about the truth made me feel more peaceful inside. He watched me, suddenly rather still.

I stared into ferocious yet gorgeous emerald eyes. He spoke to me in German. "Why, Tanya?"

"Because, I never had a reason to love before. I could never find a king. It was always me...the queen. Ruling her palace all alone, I never realized what was out there." I explained, feeling an unfamiliar feeling of sadness.

I was never sad! What's wrong with me?

"Do you still want to be queen?"

"Yes."

"Would you kill for it?"

"Yes, I will, and I have."

He leaned close, eyes glittering. He looked curious and insecure at the same time. I'd never seen him like that before.

"Do you regret that?"

"Never, not for a moment."

"Would you kill that little girl?"

"Yes" I whispered.

"Would you kill me?" He breathed. The question caught me by surprise.

I thought for a moment and knew my answer, "No."

He tilted his head, frowning, trying to understand me. "Why not?"

"I'm not sure. I tried back at the palace. The theater. But I couldn't. Something won't let me pull the trigger, and when I finally did, it never hit."

I, too, was confused at this.

"Do you know what that something is?" He leaned closer, I did too. Our noses touched and electricity shot through my entire being, making me giddy. I giggled at the feeling. It reminded me of the time I had found a crate of champagne at the theater and had a little to much.

"No, But trust me, I will soon..." I kissed his thin lips, to my surprise, he reciprocated. Hesitantly at first, then more confident. I felt terrific joy, more fierce than that I received when getting a delicious kill. Oh, it was marvelous, exquisite, otherworldly. My face heated and I felt like I'd left this universe. Words...can't...describe...

He yanked back abruptly, cutting off the kiss, face red with emotion. For a moment, he simply stared into my eyes. I wanted to dive back into that kiss, pull him into it. I wanted to feel it all again. I grinned hopefully, about to try once again.

"Tanya..." He murmured suddenly. "This feeling...IS WRONG!" He yelled as though it were my fault.

He glared, stepping back and eyeing me like a cornered animal. I hesitantly followed him, shamelessly wanting another kiss, but his hand on my shoulder stopped me.

"Zhat never happened..." He growled in English, old demeanor returned. He let me go with a saddening, light push.

I stared at him uncertainly, he turned and stomped off without another word, old floorboards groaning in protests. He walked out the door, out onto the street, while I stared like a complete idiot. He paused, glanced around, and started off again. He disappeared down the road back towards the theater and my heart felt...deflated? Was that the word?

I wasn't sure, because I had no idea what my emotions were and what they meant. It'd been far too long since I'd felt any emotion akin to caring. He was right, though. I couldn't want him. We couldn't want each other. It was a bad idea. The last time I'd loved, fate had made sure I regretted it. I went into the living room to retrieve my weapons. I located my Bowie knife next to my gun and put it through my belt. I sighed to myself, picking Nova up from the end-table.

"If you could talk, you'd say that was rather stupid of me." I informed my gun as I strapped it to my back.

I walked over to a still-in-one-piece mirror and yanked the bandage from my face. The wound was gone. He'd been right to say I recovered fast. Of course, I already knew this fact, but it still intrigued me to here the cause.

I left the small house that Richtofen had brought me to and blinked in the sunlight a few times, adjusting to it, and traipsed down the long road, alone, back to my theater. My palace.

Another thing that intrigued me about the situation was the fact that my blood had the element in it. Apparently, it'd healed my wound rather quickly. It'd slipped my mind a second ago, but now it bugged me. For the life of me, I could not figure out why or how. I guess a zombie could have passed it along years ago. But still...that seemed wrong somehow. He said it was a higher concentration than his and his unconventional allies.

Wait...they had some of the element in their blood too? They were definitely keeping secrets. I wanted to find out too.

I turned a corner, doing a once-over for the zombies and found nothing. They seemed to be almost too absent. Strange. I continued on after another cursory glance. After a moment more, my brain went back to its brooding. One of its favorite pass-times.

I was now reconsidering leaving my palace again.

Why should I go? A change of scenery? Power? Or something else?

But this was my home, how could I ever give it a proper goodbye? I wondered if I truly wanted to leave this place or not...I felt bitter inside.

I made it to the dilapidated theater, scanning the immediate vicinity for anymore fools, but there were none here either. I admired the old building for a while, tracing the cracks and old rotten wood with my eyes. I loved it.

Finally, I entered. I walked into the lobby to find the American and Russian sitting on rotten chairs at a table across from one another, flinging cards about in what might have once been an organized game, but was now a complete mess.

As Dempsey flung another card down, he smashed his fist down and crumpled the card. The card held the appearance of a card that had been through such abuse multiple times.

"HA!" He yelled in triumph.

A full three seconds later, the Russian's hand slammed down on top of his. The American cursed fiercely in pain.

"EHhehehehe! Slap Jack! DA?" Nikolai laughed. "Cuz, now, you're Jack!"

"DAMMIT Commy! that's not how you play!" The Marine yelled.

Then they both noticed me as I walked over.

"Vhat are you doing?" I asked. In English.

I saw Dempsey give me a once-over. "Playing a game, wanna join?" He offered. Probably only out of politeness.

"Nein." I said, my German making the two Allies' soldiers wince. I grinned at their discomfort.

"Maybe ve can play my game, zhough!" I added playfully.

Nikolai sipped at a bottle of vodka agitatedly. Wait, where'd he get that? He said, "fucking capitalist! Why'd you have to invite that-"

My glare cut him off dead. I kicked his chair with all my might, making the wooden legs snap and sending the Cossack crashing to the floor, his vodka bottle rolling away.

"OW! That hurt!" Yelled the Russian.

I knelt next to him and held my Bowie to his throat. These idiots would learn respect...even if it meant a few blood spots on my carpet...which was already immensely stained.

"Now vhat do you say?" I whispered fiercely.

"I surrenderrrrr!" Moaned the Russian miserably.

"Now...my game?"

"Da! I'll play! What is it?"

"It's called hush puppies. Zhe next vone to talk after I say _'GO'_, gets kicked in zhe...not-so-pleasant area!" I explained, grinning. "It's so much fun!"

"Dammit! You're worse than the Nazi!" Dempsey said as he stood up, backing away from us both.

I began, "alright. On a count of three-"

Suddenly, we all heard a moan and the sounds of boards ripping away from a window. The fools were back. I sighed in disappointment as I stood up and seized Nova from my back.

Terrorizing these disrespectful soldiers was going to have to wait.

"Couldn't you have waited longer!" I called at the fool clawing through Takeo's barricade. It howled in response.

* * *

_**End of chapter 6!**_

First kiss! Wooooo. But not quite as Tanya planned. Zombies next chapter!

Reviews? :)


	7. Not So Wrong Anymore

_**Hi everyone!  
New chapter up and I realized with horror that I hadn't thanked you amazing peoples very well last chapter. So, thank you so much CommanderCats for the follow and xXToKnowHisNameXx for the follow too. I'm glad you guys are interested in this story. ;) Hopefully you guys will like it as it starts getting good about here...**_

_**xMechaSheikx - I'm pretty sure that I'd be nowhere without the constant support! Thanks sooooo much! :)**_

* * *

Thoughts from Tanya Dreiser - In Retrospect.

_Everything changed at that point. It was like a wall had been torn down somewhere and the flood that was my feelings had been set free._

_Things seemed to go even faster after that, and now I wonder...was it really real, or just some kind of dream. At any rate, it changed everything. And now, I don't regret it. I was able to say farewell to the shackles that held me to that place, because now I had something new to chase after...and it wasn't just power._

* * *

_**Chapter 7**_

_**Not So Wrong Anymore**_

My index finger contracted and I squeezed the trigger as I aimed down the barrel of my rifle at the undead slowly climbing in through the window that had once been a barricade. Suddenly, it's neck was all that was left, gushing a fountain of red blood. I smiled happily.

"Hehe, can't see where you are going now, can you?" I taunted in German as the corpse stumbled for a second and toppled to the floor.

Nikolai slowly picked himself up from the floor where he'd fallen, grunting in effort and snatching up his vodka bottle while muttering in Russian. He stood up as best he could while I took out some crawlers coming in from the roof spouting green gas from their smooth greying hides. They curled up like spiders dying as they hit the stairs and floor.

"Shit. They're coming from the stairs!" I heard Dempsey growl, forgetting the cards on the table. I looked over to see his Lamentation decimating several fools stumbling down the steps, their chests exploding with red. "Oorah, maggot-bags!"

Abruptly, he switched to his Resonator, letting forth a smattering of fresh bullets into the undead.

I heard the inconsistent rattle of bullets to my left and turned to see Nikolai's FN FAL at work on the zombies coming from the direction of the stage. To my surprise, he wasn't too bad with his aim since he managed to kill the majority of the small group. Was he just so used to being drunk, he could kill just as well as when he was sober? Was he ever sober? I continued to pop heads from the crawlers climbing in through the roof and walking zombies using the windows to gain the lobby.

"I zhink it vould be vise to leave zhe lobby!" I suggested in English, watching more corpses collapse and being replaced by twice their number.

"Where could we possibly go? We're kinda blocked off here!" Dempsey growled, stepping back as lifeless corpses tumbled down the stair case.

"Nozhing's impossible for a queen." I responded, shoving past Nikolai.

I pushed his gun down while it was still firing. He nearly shot his own foot.

"Hey! Watch it, Girl!" He hollered angrily.

I ignored him and unloaded the rest of my clip into more crawlers coming from the theater room.

"Nikolai, get zhe vindows!" I ordered as the crawlers exploded with enough force to slay their walking brethren behind them. A noxious scent filled the air.

"Ughh. That smells disgusting!" Nikolai groaned. "Like my fourth wife...she was pretty...pretty and smelly...weird combo." He turned his drunken gaze to the zombies coming through the window.

I slew the rest coming in from the stage, finishing my clip off, and hurried forward through the path I'd cleared.

"Too me!" I yelled and lunged through a thick green cloud, holding my breath.

I burst into the aisle from the green smog, smashing into something hard. I almost didn't realize that it was a person. We both went down.

"Vell, zhis...is awkward." Richtofen stated lightly, green eyes staring at me and a faint smile on his face. I registered the fact that I'd landed on his chest.

I scrambled back quickly off of him like I'd just fallen into a puddle of lava. We both stared. Richtofen suddenly grinned at me as he slowly stood up. I shot to my feet as well, staring straight into his eyes, but not flinching. Slowly he drew his ray gun, a crazed expression coming over his face.

For a moment, I thought he was going to try and shoot me. I tensed my hold on my Nova and then remembered that it needed reloading. Shit.

Then he spun on his heels towards the zombies gaining on him - that I just now noticed - and fired. He must have been training them through the theater room.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA! You all die!" He screeched as the zombies exploded in chunks of green and red. I glanced over my shoulder where the green fog was dissipating. Dempsey and Nikolai appeared through the fog, casting their gazes out for more zombies. I suddenly heard a shout from the stage and glanced past Richtofen to where Takeo was lopping apart zombies easily with his katana, yelling about his emperor or something.

Then I noticed something strange. A floating green box hung in the air where the last of the fools had been in the theater aisle.

"~I knew zhat brat vas holding out on us~!" Richtofen sang as he reached forward and touched it.

_**"Max ammo..."**_

"Vhat vas zhat?" I demanded, jumping a little upon hearing the demonic words.

"That was a power-up. It restores all ammo...it's pretty sweet." Dempsey said. "You've never had one before?"

I shook my head. "Not before now...I vonder vhy."

Richtofen looked at my gun suddenly. "Is it full of ammo?" He asked lightly.

I checked the back-up clips, but all were empty except for one, which I began loading into the empty gun.

"No," I responded in confusion, frowning at the others.

Richtofen let out a low whistle and pulled his hat closer to his eyes with a quick flourish. "Vell, it's seems zhat Samanzha doesn't count you as part of _zhe game_..."

"Game?" I asked in confusion.

"Ja. Zhe little girl has trapped us in her game." He muttered bitterly.

Before I could ask what that even meant, Nikolai asked, "wait, if you haven't gotten power-ups, then where do you get ammo?"

I glanced at Richtofen's face as he watched me curiously, blinking slowly. Suddenly, it occurred to me that I was surrounded by the three soldiers and I noted Takeo approaching from the stage, his gaze on us with a knowing expression. That'd make four.

Four soldiers that had probably been giving zombies haircuts below the chins for a long time now. All with dark pasts I was sure. All were men.

They were intruders, and they were close.

"Zhat's none of your business, Communist!" I snarled, becoming defensive and snappy at the enclosure. I was the queen, what did they think they were doing, ganging up on me like this!?

"Hey, calm down..." Someone said.

I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder. I went into self-defense mode. Before I knew what had happened, my foot lashed out and caught the hand's owner right between the legs.

Fortunately, it was only Dempsey.

He sank to the floor, face pale and full of agony.

Richtofen burst into a fit of uncontrolled laughter, seemingly unknowing that I could have easily done the same to him.

"Don't touch me!" I hissed at the witless American, taking a step back and nearly bumping into Richtofen. I stopped at the last second, shooting a warning glance at him over my shoulder, and Takeo who stopped a few steps away to observe the commotion.

"Dammit!" Moaned Dempsey in pain while Richtofen giggled at him.

I reached for my Bowie knife, expecting a fight. Richtofen abruptly turned serious, realizing I hadn't been joking. He stepped back slightly.

"Back avay! Zhis grenade is going to EXPLODE! ahahaha _explode_..." He chuckled, sounding actually a little nervous. I noticed his hand twitching at his belt where his own grenades were at.

Then I realized why. The last time I'd acted this way, I'd nearly killed Nikolai and made Richtofen lose a leg. For some reason, the thought of that encounter made me even angrier.

"Zhat's right, back avay!" I snarled, waving my knife in Nikolai's face as he happened to be the closest who wasn't currently incapacitated.

He quickly backed up, tripping over his own feet and crashing into the chairs in the on the other aisle. Richtofen risked a step closer to me. Thankfully, his hands were far away from his grenades and up in the air now.

"GET BACK!" I yelled at him.

His eyes were deadly serious as he spoke his next words. "Tanya, I know you're angry! I understand zhat, but zhis is not a good time to be killing. Not _us_ anyvays..." He trailed off, his voice slightly higher.

For several tense moments we stood there, glaring at each other fiercely. Then I hesitated, remembering our kiss. I shuddered mentally and lowered my blade, trying not to meet that gaze that made my insides weak. I turned it towards Takeo instead, who shook his head in agreement to Richtofen's statement.

"I guess..." I mumbled. I saw them visibly relax. I hadn't realized they'd been so tense. Was it something in my eyes? For some reason, I was glad I could make them so scared.

Was scared the right word for it though?

"You weren't kidding about the grenade." Dempsey groaned, trying to get up. "I think one's just blown up between my legs..." He limped away, heading towards the lobby, probably because that was the safest route away from me.

I saw Nikolai thrashing in the seats trying to escape them, but to no avail.

"Chyort! Will one of you bastards help me?!" He yelled from the cushions.

I abruptly spun towards the stage and pushed passed Richtofen, shoving him roughly on purpose. He stumbled, his hat threatening to fall from his head, but he managed to catch it. I heard him mutter something. I stepped nimbly around Takeo, staring at him and daring him to meet my gaze. He didn't, instead he began to make for the lobby, ignoring the Russian who was still stuck in the chair rows.

I climbed up on the stage and looked around at the spattering of blood and flesh on the floor. I took some comfort in the carnage lying around. My home...I sighed. I heard some belching and farting and looked up to see that Nikolai had managed to make out of the chairs and Richtofen was quickly retreating from him as though to get as far away as possible. He was coming towards the stage. I paused, waiting for him.

He stepped up onto the stage and slowly undid his grenade belt. He tossed it onto a wooden stool rather casually, doing the same with his hat, gloves and coat. He was soon kneeling next to the teleporter, muttering faint words under his breath, deliberately ignoring me.

"What are you doing?" I asked in German as I walked up to the machine. For a moment, he stayed silent, and I thought he was going to avoid the question altogether.

"There is a wiring problem with it!" He explained finally without looking up from his task. "It seems to glitch when cooling down. Then, once it's fixed, we can be on our way to leave you in this tiny box of a palace...I have all the coordinates to leave though, I just got to..." He stopped and stared at me with a suspicious expression. "Why do you want to know?"

I shrugged. "I've nothing better to do..." I mumbled, looking at the floors. I felt rather depressed at the thought of him going.

Wait... I, who never needed anyone, was sad to see him go? I wished I made more sense.

"You said you'd never gotten power-ups before...tell me...have you used the other accessories of the game?" He asked, still fidgeting with the machine's power panel.

"Accessories?"

"Ja. Pack-a-Punch, wall guns, weapons box, Perk-a-Colas?"

I hesitated. "I used the weapons box once, and then Samantha took it away on the second try. I used the Pack-a-Punch for Nova here, but that's the only time. I have not touched the chalk outlines or the perk machines..."

"Why?"

"I don't know. I always figured that the outlines were nothing and that the perks were harmful or extremely old."

Suddenly, he flung down the tool he was holding. It bounced off the floor and he turned his full attention to me.

"I don't understand, Tanya! Why would she give you the accessories but not include you in the game?" He stared at me in a way that confused me, like he expected me to know the answers or something...

"Why don't you ask her?" I growled sarcastically, staring at his bloodstained coat nearby.

"Hmph! Maybe I will..." He said, doing something additional to the machine and pressing a small button.

There was a small ding and an additional light came on the top of it.

"At last...soon, I will-" He cut off, shooting me a glare. "Why is it that when I try to talk_ to myself,_ you're RIGHT THERE!" He snapped.

"What do you want me to do about it?" I asked.

"Why are you even right there?" he snorted.

"I was curious. Besides you're still in my palace." I reminded evenly.

He grumbled something and stood up.

"Have you even considered the offer...?"

"All too often," I sighed, staring up at the ceiling where the wires for the stage crisscrossed the top. Trying to ignore the intense gaze now directed at me.

I heard his footsteps, and he paused before me. I switched my eyes back to his emerald irises, determined to keep ahold of myself this time.

No kissing or any of that foolishness, I told myself.

"You do?" A whisper of a question.

I nodded. I saw a muscle twitch in his jaw, as if his brain were directing extra energies to unknown parts of his musculature system. He blinked twice, and then a strange look entered his eyes. It was one I'd not seen before I was sure.

"Can I...speak with you, elsewhere?" He asked almost in a whisper.

I stared at him in sheer surprise. Since when did he whisper like that?...or talk in private for that matter?

I hesitated. "Where?"

"Wherever you choose..." He smiled.

Like hell if I knew where...

Then it occurred to me.

"The Berlin Wall." I declared suddenly, nodding to myself in satisfaction. The turret tower was perfect.

"Then, let's go." He urged, looking uncomfortable...which was rather strange. He grabbed his stuff from nearby and nodded, pulling it on.

* * *

"What's this about?" I asked as I sat next to the rusted-out, mounted MG on the tower wall. The sun was setting bloodred again, and here I was, back in this tower I loved so much for its height. Only this time Richtofen was with me as well. He was standing near a window on the far side, his gaze sweeping over Berlin. The sun glinted fire-like in his green eyes.

"It's about you." He said just like that, turning his uncharacteristically calm gaze on me. He adjusted his armband without even looking at it.

"Me?"

"Ja...I must know what it is you are _up to_!" He suddenly declared.

The look on his face made me feel certain that he hadn't come here to question what it was I was up to. But I suppose I can play that game for a bit, just to find out what he really wanted.

"I'm not up to anything." I said in annoyance. "I'm just ruling the palace. I should be asking what _you _are up to!"

He chuckled rather deeply. "The way I see it Tanya...we have similar..._alignments_. I will say. Especially when it comes to goals."

"What's that mean?"

He started walking towards me. "I think...that we could be _up to_ the same thing."

He then stood before me, a mere few feet away, leaning casually on the turret. He was rather...handsome like that. I felt my heart skip a beat as a flash ran through his eyes. It wasn't a fierce flash like he got when the fools attacked, but more of an excited flash. I figured he got that look when he got the correct response from an experiment of his. I took a deep breath, reminding myself not to get worked up.

Focus.

"I mean, I want power...you want power. I think we could-" He stopped as I lunged to my feet, glaring at him viciously.

"What's this?" I hissed threateningly, stepping toward him. He didn't even flinch, but actually smiled a little. "First you think it's wrong...and now you are trying to imply...what?"

The next thing I registered was his hand on my shoulder and his body rather close to mine. I focused in on his face, studying the sharp cheekbones to distract myself from the warmth on my shoulder. Yet, despite that, I didn't want to move away.

"I'm implying that...I've changed my mind about that feeling. It's not so wrong anymore." He murmured, kissing me on the lips.

It was so sudden that I actually just stood there, not really doing anything. Then, I realized what he meant. I pulled back from the kiss and looked him dead in the eye.

"You've changed your mind?" I exclaimed, trying to sound doubtful and not thrilled. Although, I don't think it was working very well.

"Ja..." He nodded, his hand sliding down my arm to my elbow, holding it as delicately as a flower.

"Why?"

I felt his other hand on my other elbow. A part of me realized that even if the answer wasn't satisfactory, I was still going to react the same way. I shuddered as he tugged me closer. We pressed together, faces inches apart.

"Because I enjoy this so much _more_...than I thought possible!" His voice quivered slightly and I realized something.

He'd been scared before!

I laughed lightly.

"What?" he made a face.

"You. Were. Scared." I whispered, touching his nose with my lips on the last declaration. I felt his warm breath ragged on my face. I could feel fierce happiness flood my being.

Why was that?

He looked like he might deny my conclusion, but all he said was, "I never felt this way before..."

"Then, you'll be wanting to feel that way again." I guessed, pressing my lips to his.

I felt him shiver slightly and then I wrapped my arms around his chest.

"I wasn't scared..." He denied finally as he hugged me close. I laughed giddily and rested my chin on his shoulder, feeling relaxed.

"Then what?" I asked.

"I was frightened."

"What's the difference?"

"You are..."

I felt rather calm as we stood there. It felt strange to me. But I liked it...

"You know the three day deadline I gave." I murmured.

"Ja."

"It's gone now...and when you do leave...I'm coming with you."

We stood there for a moment, and I don't know why...but it felt right.

Then, he ruined the moment by saying, "I had figured both of those already."

I pulled back, glaring at him. "You just enjoy annoying me!" I accused.

He shrugged and grinned innocently. "I don't annoy you! You just think that because you don't know what I really do to you..."

"And what would that be?"

"I make you happy."

That was true. Still...

"It's still annoying." I said, not really feeling that way anymore though.

"Tanya, you want power." He murmured. It was more a statement than a question.

"Yes," I said, trying to think straight.

"Then it's ours for the taking."

* * *

_**End of chapter 7.**_

I'd love to hear your opinion! Don't be shy! ;)


	8. Lies

_**Hey, new chapter here! Thank you all for reading! Ah, thanks so much, DeutschRaven, for the author/story fave and for the follow for this story! It means a lot! ;)**_

_**Thanks xMechaSheikx for the review... Made me smile big! :D Warm and fuzzy is gone though for this chapter...**_

* * *

Thoughts form Tanya Dreiser - In Retrospect

_Oh, I forgot about what came next...dammit...it was not pretty and it nearly destroyed me...I said it released me from the theater...it did._

_Just not in the way you think. And the thing I was chasing is not what it seems..._

_Farewell to my chance of ever being balanced... *sighs*_

* * *

_**Chapter 8**_

_**Lies**_

I felt lighter than air as I watched him leave, climbing down from the turret tower. I'd told him to go on. So he had. I twisted around to gaze at the sunset, feeling pleased, enjoying its fading warmth on my face. I stayed there long after the moon and stars had ascended into the heavens, winking down at the world from their places up high. I was no more closer than I had been before to them, but I felt rather happy.

I was going to go with Richtofen and get the power I wanted so. And the side bonus of him... That brought a smile to my face. I found myself wishing I could cast a line into the stars and pull one down to me and make a wish.

Finally, as I left the tower, something strange caught my eye a little ways down the road. There were two pinpricks of yellow light in the darkness, like zombie eyes. I walked towards it, aiming my Nova at it, wondering if there was anything like a zombie child. I hoped not, it would suck to have to kill that.

Then I remembered I needed ammo, but I was pretty sure I had enough for one fool if it came down to it. I could go grab some from the armory near the tower(Which is where I got it regularly if Nikolai was still curious. There was enough in there for a whole army...so it'd lasted me all these years) if I needed to. For now, I was too intrigued by this thing I could see.

I was soon close enough to make out more details and caught sight of what it was. I gasped in surprise.

Two yellow eyes in a ghostly transparent body locked onto mine. She looked maybe twelve, her blue and white dress was just as bloodstained as the teddy bear sitting in her arms. Which was to say _a lot._ Her face was small and delicate, but pale and lifeless, like a vampire. I guess you look like that when you don't have a body.

If I wasn't so used to this sort of stuff, I'd have been seriously creeped-out.

"Samantha," I whispered, aiming my rifle right at her. I wasn't sure I could hurt her though due to the fact that she was ghostlike and probably not even solid.

"Tanya," she responded. Surprising, her voice wasn't demonic like it usually was, but soft and childlike.

"What do you want?" I asked tiredly, lowering my gun.

I did not feel threatened by her presence here. Truth be told, I wasn't interested in putting a bullet in a ghost child.

"I saw that little exchange in the tower..." She whispered, staring right at me. I felt a little miffed by this.

"And?" I demanded, perturbed. Why was she spying on me? _That_ was creepy...

She shook her head softly.

"You will wind up regretting it..."

I thought it was a threat, and suddenly I was getting mad.

"Look, little shit, I really don't want to deal with this right now. Why don't you fade back to whatever dimension you came from." I frowned at her.

"I didn't mean it as a threat, Tanya." She said softly, shifting a little so that the moonlight reflected off her paper-white skin. "I just meant that you won't be happy anymore if you go with him...soon you will be dead." She adjusted her grip on the bloodied teddy bear and sat down in the road, as if she were abruptly tired.

She didn't sound like a little girl, but a grown adult with serious advice. I wanted to just walk away, but I was immensely curious as to why she thought that. Besides, I'd never had a personal conversation with her, and I decided I could get more from this encounter if I were patient.

"Why would I regret it? What do you mean I'd be dead?" I interrogated.

"Do you not know Uncle Eddy's secret?" She whispered, leaning forward conspiratorially.

"Uncle Eddy? Secret?" I was befuddled.

She nodded. "Eddy, as in Edward. You didn't just kiss someone whose first name you didn't know, did you?"

I had...

Suddenly, I was a little embarrassed. What did it matter though? I was a queen...I could kiss someone if I wanted to. Even if I didn't know their first name. Yeah...okay, that wasn't the best decision ever. Oh well.

I became a little defensive after that line of thought. "Okay. So his name's Edward. Any other dangers I should be aware of?" I snapped sarcastically.

"A lot..." She said, ignoring my derision.

"What is this secret?" I asked, stepping away and sitting with my back to the Berlin Wall next to the brick road.

"Where to start..." she mused. "Are you aware of the element 115?"

I nodded. "How could I _not_ be?"

"It started there. Edward and my father found the element." Her voice became pouty, more like a child's. "And then it happened..."

"The outbreak?" I guessed.

"No...the betrayal..." she whispered. "Father and him were good friends. Often times, Uncle Eddy would come and see me. At the time, I cared for him. He would play games with me...but then he started becoming different. That's when I quit liking him."

"What do you mean, different?"

"He began to show up less and less. I was more lonely than ever since father was too busy with work. And then one day he came into my room as I slept. When I woke up...I was strapped down to the bed and he injected me with a syringe full of blue stuff...talking of someone else I didn't know..."

She sobbed softly, hugging her teddy bear closer to herself.

I was so shocked, I couldn't articulate. I would have thought she was lying but I realized she wasn't. I could tell simply because I was a queen. I knew these things.

She continued. "Then one day, they were...t-testing...the-" She hiccupped, grimacing. "With the element. Edward had convinced daddy to use my dog, Fluffy." Her voice broke on the name. "T-They tied her up, like he'd done to me. They shut the door. You should have seen her face, Tanya, she was so scared, like I'd been..."

I'd once had a dog, a long time ago. It had been the most beautiful creature I'd ever known. His name had been Regent, and he'd been a large German Shepard that had died defending my life from zombies. The thought still nearly tore me apart, so I pushed it away.

I could relate to this girl...this demonic girl, I know. But she was still a girl. Because I realized something. We had much in common already.

"What happened?" I gently urged, wanting to get to the bottom of the story.

She wiped her eyes with her arm, meeting my gaze. I noticed the yellow glow had faded from her eyes and I saw brown irises underneath. Her eyes had a lost look to them, and the despair that seemed to emanate from her pupils flooded through me, making me bitter inside.

"I tried to stop him..." She whimpered. "And then Uncle Edward killed my father..."

"What!?" I was bewildered. How'd we go from tying up a dog to someone getting murdered?

"He locked us into the room with Fluffy. She had been transformed beyond all recognition by the element test..."

It made sense. Even dogs were effected by the element. I felt betrayed. Richtofen was a black-hearted monster for sure...

I mean, shit, I didn't have a clean past. But I'd never deliberately strapped down a little girl and tested on her. Then, murdered her poor dog...and her dad. Attempted to murder her. I'd never led someone to believe I was going to do one thing and then did another. I was crazy yes, but I'd never lied to an extent that people were torn to shreds over it...died over it!

"How'd you escape?" I asked, feeling a constricting tightness in my chest.

"The teleporter activated...and I was transported to the device that controlled all the puppets." She smiled. "The men there tried to stop me, but the puppets killed them on my command. They should never have messed with me and my father!"

I stared in surprise. Was it the truth? Her eyes seemed to be honest and I felt certain she wasn't lying.

But I'd been wrong about Richtofen...or was I? I was still a little doubtful.

"Is that why those four are in your game? And I'm not?" I asked.

She nodded. "Edward was the only one who should have been in it, but the other three helped him out."

"Samantha...if it is just him you hate...why'd you kill everyone?" I murmured, thinking bitterly of my father.

"He was hiding and I couldn't find him...so I turned over every place. I ordered the puppets to kill everyone!"

I shivered, thinking of how my dreams had been so similar. I'd ordered the fools to slaughter every living person and they would have done it. I would do it if I were Sam. I didn't blame her for her heart...and her feelings.

Emotions were powerful things after all.

"Do you know about the other soldiers with him?" I asked. I had a golden pot of info right there in front of me, so why not delve into it?

"Edward tested on them too..." she sighed. "That's why they are immune to my puppets as I found out." She wiped her eyes. "But the reason I told you all that...was that I really wanted to tell you something that you'll know. It's that Edward knows you...more than you realize."

"What?" I didn't understand.

"Haven't you ever wondered why the puppets can't kill you? They've killed everyone you know and yet not you. I haven't helped you either."

"The element..." I whispered, remembering Richtofen's interest in that fact.

"It's because the element is in your blood...in a higher concentration than even the fools..." She agreed.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"Eddy is a liar. He did that to you when you were just a young girl, though he pretends to not know."

"WHAT?" Now I was beginning to think she was lying...

"You repressed the horrible memories from your mind, but they do exist. I know because I did the same, until I aged..."

I shook my head in utter disbelief.

"Don't you remember? You were from a Jewish family...stuck in a concentration camp, the men would occasionally drag off those who were young or unfit. Or those specially selected for it. You were one to be experimented on. Edward got a hold of you...You were just seven then..."

"How could you possibly know..." I murmured, feeling like I just been tossed in a roaring river. I was disoriented beyond belief.

That's right. It rushed back to me in an instant. I'd only been in the concentration camp for a few years before the allies had freed us, but he'd still gotten to me. Now that I was being reminded, my older mind was letting in my childhood horrors. They filled me up, making me angry and bitter.

"He talked about you to me...as he did the injections..." Her eyes flashed. "That's why I like you, Tanya...you're like me...the only one...like me."

* * *

_**Flashback**_

_The German general pointed at me severely. "That's the one with the blood type I'm looking for." His lean face was all angles and his hair was short and greying around the temples. His eyes were hard to look upon because they seemed so deadly and fierce. _

_"Take her," nodded a commander without any pity for my frightened face._

_I trembled in fear as a tall soldier towered over me._

_"NOOO! you can't! She's my girl! You can't." My mother, who was held back by more soldiers, struggled, panicking. "Please don't take her!" She begged._

_Hands picked me up and I was slung unceremoniously over someone's shoulder. I was too terrified to resist._

_"No, don't!" Was the last thing I heard from my mother as I was carried off. It turned out, it was the last time I'd ever hear her voice._

_Still, I didn't move as we went farther and farther from the place she was at. Farther from any sense of security I may have had._

_Then, a noise chilled me to the blood. A gunshot behind us in the dead air as the soldier walked on._

_Finally, we paused outside a large building and some guards allowed us in. Up and up we went through several flights of stairs. Then, we came to a door with a sign hanging over it saying; Gen. Richtofen. We walked into the room and I was deposited on a leather chair facing a desk. I studied the ornaments on it that disturbed me deeply. Several stuffed dolls lined the edge, bloodstained and twisted as though they'd been tortured._

_I made a noise in my throat, frightened by these harsh indicators of what their owner must be like._

_"Now wait for him." The soldier commanded. "If you move an inch, I will cut your feet off..." He threatened before leaving._

_I sat there for what must have been hours, scared and trying not to think of what might come. I focused on a clock ticking quietly on the far wall, staring at the glass on it and watching the second hand tick quickly. I ignored the desk which I'd just realized had dark stains on it. _

_Then something caught my eye._

_A thin case perched on a stand, its surface shimmering in the light coming in through a window. I stood up and approached it, curious. I knew I wasn't supposed to move, but_ _I couldn't help it. I was too intrigued. As I got closer to it, I was horrified._

_Within the glass was a pure white skull, perfectly preserved. It didn't look right though, a large hole was right in its forehead. I was filled with more fear, and I wanted to run despite the threats from the soldier. I prepared to turn from the case._

_"Admiring the décor, girl?" Asked a light voice behind me. I spun on my heel, screaming out in fear._

_"Now, now...that's no way to act." It was him, the general. He walked towards me and I cowered in trepidation. His eyes were burning with ferociousness that did not match his calm words. Before I knew it, he seized me and I was placed in the chair again._

_"Do you know what that skull was from?" He asked me, taking a seat on the other side of the desk._

_I shook my head, too scared to even speak._

_"That was the last test subject that turned...such a waste." He paused his rummaging and looked at me. "You remind me of Samantha..." He sat up from the drawer._

_I soon saw that he had a knife his hand, his finger tracing the blade delicately and thoughtfully._

_"I'm sorry!" I squeaked, terrified._

_"What for?" He stood up and came towards me. I shook all over, pretty certain I was going to die._

_"I don't know...don't kill me! Mommy said people who hurt children go to a bad place!" I said, trying to scare him off._

_"Did she now?" He whispered, kneeling next to the chair and looking me dead in the eye. I could barely stand it, because it was like staring down a deep tunnel full of bad monsters and not knowing how to back away._

_I nodded, feeling a little braver. "So you shouldn't hurt me..."_

_"You DNA is what I need to know..." He seemed to ignore my warnings. "The test ran positive for a one Miss Tanya Dreiser...you. It's only too bad you are so young." He shook his head, storing his knife away at his belt. "The Fuhrer thinks the Jewish lot are a waste. But the truth is, there is a lot of DNA here better than his supposed Aryans! Oh well, at least this way, I can take whatever I want."_

_I stared at him, uncomprehending his line of speech._

_"I can't have fun with children, though!" He complained. "It just doesn't work with me...oh well. I suppose I need to stop playing so much anyway. It's like I'm cursed to be stuck with little brats..." He hissed, grabbing my arm._

_I was too terrified to react as he pressed a needle under my skin and withdrew my blood. I was frozen solid like a statue to that chair._

_Once he was satisfied with the amount in the vial of the syringe, he stood up and left without saying a single word. The door to his office slammed shut, and I sat there shaking like a leaf, feeling like I might start crying._

_He came back a short while later, now the syringe was full of a glowing blue liquid. He reappeared back at my side, grinning at me._

_"It will work this time," he stated in confidence. "Shall we, Tanya?" He said. _

_He seized my arm again, pressed the needle back into skin, and injected me with its contents. I felt sick and unable to do anything before this situation. Soon, I was unconscious as well._

* * *

My mind replayed that seen as clearly as the day it'd happened. Samantha seemed to understand because she didn't say a word, waiting for me to be the instigator of a conversation. I just wasn't sure what to say yet. I wanted to think it over.

So here I was, having just relived a buried memory. And now emotions were rising within.

So he hadn't cared for me! I should have been able to see that. All of the Nazis were the same anyway, I felt, heartless monsters. They couldn't care for anyone.

He knew who I was...his test rat. The thought made me sick to my stomach. No wonder he always looked at me so intensely. It wasn't because he felt anything toward me, it was because he was interested in how his experiment had turned out. He'd been stringing me along just to observe me.

Just take the day in the house for an example. He'd seemed more interested in my blood than anything.

I felt sick for kissing him. Not once, but several times.

My eyes filled with tears. Not sorrowful tears, but embarrassed ones. I was embarrassed by what he'd done, how he'd played me. I was angry inside. I'd been alone all those years, and it had made me weak. It'd made me lonely, and I should never had felt that way!

But now I knew...I was ready for future problems more than ever. And even though it made me miserable, I knew I'd be stronger for it.

I didn't feel very good anymore. I felt sick to my stomach. I wanted revenge. I was going to make him pay for his lies...for what he'd done! I was going to make him suffer!

"Thank you, Samantha," I whispered. "For the truth...I know now that I was a tricked."

"I'm surprised you believe me." She stated, eyes wide as she looked at me.

"I do, because I remember that time now...he used to speak of you to me as well."

The girl stood up, but she began to fade at the same time. I guess she was a ghost after all.

"I can't stay in this dimension anymore," She said. "Just know, Tanya, that I hate him. If you kill him...I will reward you with your own puppets to control...The slower the better."

"Puppets? Oh, did you mean fools?" I questioned.

She shrugged. "Whatever you want to call them."

Then she disappeared. I was excited by the prospect of having my own fools to control. I found myself thinking that I was going to kill him, even if the only reward I got was repairing my damaged pride.

I gritted my teeth, thinking of the revenge I'd get on that bastard for everything.

I'd never wanted to hurt anyone more than I did at that point.

I stood up from where I'd been sitting, shouldered Nova, and began my traipse back to the theater.

* * *

_**End of chapter 8. **_

ERMAHGERD! How is she planning to make him pay? Will things go right? Find out in future chapters!

Ideas, comments, suggestions, and questions are welcome as always! ;)


	9. It's Never Simple

_**Chapter nine is here! Updates have been quicker as I've had more inspiration lately and free time. Yay! Let's see how far it gets me! Thank you all for reading this, it makes me happy!**_

_**xMechaSheikx - yes, this has definitely been interesting for me! ;) I hope you like where this goes in the future as I find it exciting!**_

* * *

Thoughts from Tanya Dreiser - In Retrospect

_Is it possible to be so wrong and so right? Truth is never easy. No one's ever right or wrong. There is no black and white, only varying shades of grey. We are who we are. Each one of us a mystery to ourselves and everyone else...just waiting to be unveiled._

_So why did I mess up? I guess I was just being a dolt then._

_Change was coming for me..._

* * *

_**Chapter 9**_

_**It's Never Simple.**_

The moon and stars were high in the sky by now, shimmering down their light to the Earth below. Pale, cold light shone on the city of Berlin, glinting beautifully upon the glass of the abandoned buildings. The far away stars glinted high above the world, reminding us that you can always shoot higher. Once upon a time, I'd believed they could speak and tell you things, too.

But that was before my childhood was ruined by the monsters of the world.

I stomped down the brick road parallel to the Berlin Wall, multiple scenarios of what might happen next after the conversation with the ghost child filled my mind.

Should I give Richtofen a chance to explain himself? To be honest? Or should I just go ahead and pop his skull? Maybe I'd splatter his dark heart all over the old floorboards of the theater instead. How beautiful that'd look.

How fitting it'd be.

I loved fitting ends to any story. I'd loved stories since I was a child when my mother and father would tell them to me.

My favorites were the ones where the end fit the beginning so well, and everything turned out for the best. Sometimes they were not always happy, but they went together just the same.

Now that everything had happened, my mind was flooding with ancient memories that I'd buried in my sorrow.

And they were giving me a violent, determined strength. My resolve was a ten foot, thick, steel wall at this point.

I stopped at the armory, an old metal house at the base of the Berlin wall. I didn't pause as I tromped through the rust coated front door, making it swing on creaking hinges. I looked at the mountains of munitions. Cartridges of ammo lay about, weapons such as rifles and MGs leaned lazily on the far wall, and barrels of gun powder were all rolled into a disarrayed pile in the corner.

I hurried over and sifted through the cartridge piles, replacing the empty clips of Nova with new ones. My movements were jerky and quick from burning anger in the pit of my soul. After leaving the armory building, I made my way back to the theater. I glared around the empty road, searching for more zombies, so angry that I just wanted to kill something.

No fools were out tonight, and I wondered if I'd scared them off with the aura of hate flooding from my being,

It amused me that this was the second time I'd wanted to kill Richtofen, and now the desire was so much stronger than before. It annoyed me, basically, because things were fine enough before the arrival of the men. Yeah, there was a zombie apocalypse. I know I wasn't getting any closer to my goals. I am also aware of the fact that it would not have lasted forever.

Still, at least I hadn't been so angry...and confused...

Things had changed in my domain and now I was being forced to confront it. Jeez, I really need servants for this mess. If the fools were mine, I could just have them take care of the problem. Then again, maybe not, since that'd been Samantha's logic.

Some things, I guess, I just have to face myself. Though I didn't like it.

So, like the pragmatic queen I was, I began planning.

I decided I was going to confront him...then I could watch him in pain before he died. Simple plan, yes, but those tended to be the best.

I banged open the doors to the lobby, marching in without even closing them. My military boots sounded loud in the silent lobby room. Well, it wasn't all silent. The sound of metal on stone filled my ears in long, measured rasps.

With a flick of my raven-black hair, I twisted my head towards the noise with a wrench of my neck muscles. I spied Takeo, sitting calmly on the staircase and sharpening his katana with a grey stone. He froze. His eyes flashed up in alarm until he realized it was me.

I jerked forward with my muscles, and clomped up to him. I glared downward as he sat there, continuing with his task and seemingly nonplussed at my rough gait and the anger he probably knew was radiating from me.

"Where is Richtofen?" I demanded.

Blood roared in my ears as I gazed down at the Samurai. His mustached face twitched with an unreadable grimace as I watched.

Takeo turned his gaze up to my own. "You are angry with the doctor..."

"Ummm. Noooooo," I responded sarcastically. "I have an appointment! Of course, I'm angry at him!"

"Why?" Takeo laid down the sharpening rock next to him, stretching his muscles and gripping his katana. I watched him ruffle out like a waking bird, adjusting his blood stained uniform and hat as if they were his feathers.

"Just tell me where he's at, and it's none of your business!" I snapped.

Takeo stood up at that, holding up his blade a moment, not taking his eyes from my own. I glared at him as he sheathed it calmly, having finished his task. The ring of metal on leather filled my ears as it fit perfectly in its sheath. He towered over me, being a step higher up on the stairs. His narrow, hazel eyes were fierce, the sharpness of his square face severe and framed in short dark hair. Age and stress lines were apparent on the warrior's forehead.

"Maybe it is not my business," he agreed in a soft voice. "But if you are planning to kill him, you will have to go through me." He declared, eyes glittering.

I blinked. How did he figure I was planning to kill? Besides, why would he waste his life for that worthless monster?

I folded my arms, crinkling my green Nazi coat. It was rather ironic attire, considering the object of my hate at the moment. Oh well, I could wear whatever I wanted.

"What makes you think I'm going to kill him?" I demanded, feeling annoyed.

"You've got that look in your eyes like you had earlier, when you attacked the American..." He described seriously, pointing at my face calmly. "I've seen that challenge in many of the young samurai's eyes before, just as they prepare to go into a doomed fight with their greatest enemy..."

"I need to speak with him," I tried, not backing down, becoming annoyed at his prophetic observations. "Besides, you can't protect him forever...his fate will catch up with him, Takeo."

The samurai looked away at those words. He finally just exhaled, lowered his arm slowly, and walked past me towards a lobby window. He peered through it like a hawk, probably searching for the fools. I noted that he seemed tense again, as if he were ready for a fight.

I stared at him, wondering if he was going to answer me.

"Takeo?" I asked.

He stopped, going as still as a statue, and looked at me. "I believe that Richtofen is at the teleporter...just don't do something you will regret, Tanya." He advised.

Despite the way it must have sounded, I knew it was not a threat, but an attempt to be helpful. However, I was beyond help from anyone. Especially strangers.

I laughed at that. "I already have, trust me!"

He stepped away from the window and crossed the room in short, quick strides. He closed the doors at the front that I'd left ajar quickly, and they groaned on their hinges. He did so silently, saying nothing as his body relaxed with his work. He crouched to the floor, collecting bullet casings I hadn't noticed before. As he came to his feet, he rolled them in his hand, tossing them over his left shoulder into the barricade behind him and saying something in Japanese.

They clattered onto the floor in the window, rolling away like broken memories.

Suddenly, I couldn't stand being in his silent presence anymore. It was too calming.

I spun on my heels and took off from the room, my vision turning a slight tint of red as I cast my gaze towards the stage, thinking of the person I was hating more and more all the time. I stopped walking, anger burning through me as I checked my rifle. I fumbled a moment with the clips, my vision doubling as I fumed.

Nova was brimming with ammo and I'd even put a few extra clips in my pocket for future use. I ran my hand over the stock and sighed.

"Time for yet another death..." Then I hesitated.

If I killed Richtofen, how would I get the others to leave? I suppose I could just kill them too, but then there would be nothing to gain from that. I didn't think I had the stomach to kill them anymore... Once upon a time, maybe. I wished I could go back to last week, before they'd all shown up.

Back to balance.

It didn't matter though. I could deal with that problem later. I was just going to take out 'A' on my list and worry about 'B' when I needed to.

I allowed my anger to boil back up because it had never really faded, only waited.

I marched onto the old stage. The teleporter sat nearby, electricity glittering up its sides and cables, reflecting calmly on the stained floor. It made the darker corners of the room seem deeper and mysterious. I'd never seen the teleporter so ripe with energy before. I guess Richtofen had been working on it.

My shadow danced in the electric blue light, and I noted that Nova was tinted a rather nice color from it. A refreshing change from the constant red everywhere. I took in the fact that the corpses from the fight earlier were gone and I wondered at that. I cast my gaze around for Richtofen, but I didn't see him anywhere.

Maybe he wasn't here afterall.

Then suddenly, I heard a noise behind me and I whirled around.

It was him.

Richtofen. He stepped rather calmly from the shadows near the curtain of the stage. His tan coat reflected the blue, giving it an odd greenish tinge. He was fully dressed in his military style general uniform. His visor was straight and his coat as neat as it could get with the various blood stains. And then, to add an insult to my injury, his Nazi armband seemed to have adjusted, becoming more pronounced in the harsh electrical lights.

"Tanya..." He said, something was different in his voice though, it seemed rather low for his usual high octaves. His eyes glinted viciously a marine color in the light. I instantly raised my rifle, muscles clenching up in anger.

"Don't you dare move!" I ordered, becoming tense.

He become statue-like, his green eyes burning through me with something I couldn't tell.

"What are you doing?!" He snapped, frowning at me.

"You lied!" I growled, glaring at him angrily.

"About what?" He folded his arms indignantly.

"Everything..." I widened my stance, wanting to be completely stable when I pulled the trigger.

He scoffed, "Well, you're going to have to be a little more specific."

"First off, about me!" I snapped.

He actually smiled. He leaned against the teleporter easily, looking calm and turning his gaze upward to the ceiling, as if he were bored.

He said almost wistfully, "A Miss Tanya Dreiser...They called you Schwarzer Rabe, for your hair. And thus, the birth of Projekt Rabe. I don't know why though. I guess the others were amazed by the ripe genetic orchard we'd just discovered, waiting to be plucked and utilized. I remembered that experiment, true, even when I feigned ignorance. It's because I wanted you to remember Tanya, that meant I truly succeeded."

I was instantly confused, a stab of my resolve wavered and I growled inwardly, annoyed with him. Why was he always juggling my thoughts around to where I couldn't keep up with him? I would get so confused if I wasn't careful, that it would be impossible to keep ahold of one thing at a time.

He never responded the way I expected. How could plan ahead if I couldn't even prepare for his words?

"How?" I whispered finally.

"The element had the classic pattern of causing amnesia to its...hosts..."

"I never forgot any of it!" I snapped. "I only pushed it away."

"Do you remember the phrase I gave to you then, just before our retreat?" He plowed on, ignoring my statement. _"Hide in the floor, behind the door, until the clock chimes four, the end of the war..."_

I did. We'd rehearsed that rhyme for days, weeks, months. With each injection, each test. Then, the day came when the camp was abandoned. Prisoners were rounded up and the Nazis left. Richtofen brought me to his office and asked me to recite it to him. I did, and he showed me the trapdoor under his desk.

He told me to stay there and to leave only when I heard everyone gone. Then, to stay past that until I heard more voices. Then the door shut, and I was deprived of daylight for so long. Everything was denied to me then, the element keeping me alive past hunger, fear and fatigue. I fell into a deep sleeplike hibernation...

I always thought he'd abandoned me there in that little room where he'd told me to wait.

Then the Allies came and found me.

It turned out, I'd been in there for five days. They couldn't fathom how I'd survived.

I guess I remembered even more than I realized.

"It saved your life, Tanya! I saved you from the firing squad that awaited all of the Jews then...or the noose..." He smiled, shifting from the teleporter to look at me again.

"What...just so you could see how your lab rat turned out!? I waited five days..." I demanded, glaring at him, feeling unnerved.

He nodded, "exactly! Proving the success. I wanted to see how it went...partially, I suppose. I didn't want to see such a waste of an interesting specimen of a promising experiment."

"And this...is still..._ongoing_?"

"Apparently. It's too bad that it's too late to make much of it, what with half the world dead. I plan to change that! And maybe we can go from rotten corpses to humans. That's how science works! Start with the best you can get and build up from there."

I growled with anger, "I hate you."

He didn't even blink. "You have no idea how many people have said that to me. But I'm _still curious_...why?"

"You killed Mother. You left me alone. You made me believe something was one way, when it was the other!"

"I never misled you then. I did yesterday, but that was the only time. I left you alone when I had no other choice. The Nazis would never had let me take you with me and keep you alive."

I made a high noise of anger in my throat. "And my mother?!"

"She was broken, starving, and after that day, alone. A loose end. The way I see it, I did her a favor."

I felt tears in the back of my eyes just thinking of her. Of course this black-hearted bastard didn't care.

He spoke, "You see, Tanya, I couldn't let you die yesterday. Not then. Not now. Especially since the experiment was successful beyond your wildest imaginations."

"How?"

"Everyone in the entire world died at the source of the outbreak. But here you are, over a couple of decades later, still thriving. I have never had such success! And now, I've found _you_! And I don't dare lose this opportunity again."

"WHY? You'd better have a really good reason!"

"I can go so far with your DNA..._so far_."

"I will make you suffer!" I declared.

"Then, do it..." he laughed. "I feel I have suffered a million years of pain and hatred already. I will take yours just as readily!"

What the hell did that mean?

I trembled with ferocious fury, my finger twitched on the trigger of my weapon, wanting to pull it. Sweat beaded on my brow, and the sound of my heartbeat thrummed impossibly loudly in my own ears. My hands felt clammy as my discomfort grew. I should have just pulled the damn trigger, but I was unable to.

I don't know why. I just couldn't.

I lowered my rifle, knowing I'd been defeated by my enemy.

Damn, I was so weak now...I hated it.

"Just go..." I muttered, humiliated by my pathetic actions. "Whenever that teleporter is ready. Go and never come back. I don't want to see you again, and I want to just get back to my life here."

He laughed shrilly at that. "DON'T YOU SEE?! It's too late_ for that!_"

I shot him a confused look.

"I always finish what I start!" He continued. "I _always_ come back to the loose ends if they aren't lost. I'm not letting you out of my sight again, my dear." He stated with a maniacal laugh.

He took a step towards me, then another.

I whipped my gun up. "Stop!" I hissed.

Again, he stepped forward.

"You won't kill me." He stated confidently.

"Stop!" I growled.

Another step.

"STOP!" I yelled, hands trembling on Nova.

"I made sure you wouldn't kill me..." He whispered, coming closer.

"What? How?" Again with making me jumbled up!

"By saving your life." He chuckled. "Science shows, that when a human saves another human being's life. They become more likely to like them. I saved your life _TWICE!_"

"Your science is impaired!" I snapped.

"Then do it, Tanya," he goaded. "If you really _hate me so much_...kill me!" He pressed himself right against the barrel of my gun, tip inches from his heart. His eyes were staring down at mine challengingly. The stuck-up idiot looked too calm for someone about to die. He thought he wasn't going to, but that wasn't true.

I pulled the trigger just to prove him wrong.

A dull click rang through my ears.

I tried again.

Nothing.

I snarled in frustration. I had just loaded it, I thought. I glanced down at the clip, and to my horrified realization, I'd unintentionally loaded the empty one back into my gun. I must've been too distracted by my line of thoughts earlier...and my anger.

"See?" He laughed, sound vibrations running down my gun like taunts to my clammy fingers. "You're mind already prevented it, Tanya. I made you mine then and now. You will never kill me!"

I stood there, trembling. He was so close. My knife was in my belt, I could just pull it out and stab his heart.

I couldn't though.

"You messed me up..." I whispered desperately, feeling as weak and thin as a willow. "My father died because I was messed up...I couldn't think straight after the concentration camp because of you! He died, because I was unable to cope with the problems that came!"

Richtofen pushed the barrel of Nova down, grinning at the accusation.

"Is that so? Well, he must not have loved you much to begin with, having renounced you and your mother to your dooms just to join the Fuhrer's Aryans!"

"You're WRONG!" I screamed.

But he wasn't. Father wasn't in the concentration camp with us, as he'd not been Jewish when he'd married Mother. The Nazis had welcomed any non-Jews who renounced the Jews. Even if it meant leaving their own families. It's sad but true...because it happened more often than it should have.

"I'm not." He reached forward and touched my hand gently. "Meine Frau..."

I flinched back like I was burned. "Stay away from me!"

I turn and fled.

"Tanya! Get back here!" He called.

I leapt from the stage in a single bound, bolting over the old planks onto the rotten carpet. I ran faster than ever, fleeing him. I realized dimly that I was trying to outrun my history again. Trying to elude it, to escape the wrongs of the past. I was running from myself.

I sped down the theater aisle and burst into the lobby, clearing the counter with a fierce jump. I saw Takeo, leaning against Quick Revive. His gaze was trained on me as I ran past.

I ran outside, to the dark brick road. Abandoned cars were littered everywhere, forgotten in the bright moonlight. The cool night air made me slow for just a moment, and then I pressed on, sprinting for my life.

I only wished that running would do something good for me.

* * *

_**End of chapter 9...I apologize for any typos as I self-edit and it tends to get to where I miss things...**_

Run, Tanya, run! No, but seriously, I feel sorry for her. :,(

Even I didn't realize what was going on until now. The characters in my stories tend to do what they like and I just sit back and let them...

* * *

**Translation** - Schwarzer Rabe = Black Raven. Projekt Rabe = Project Raven.


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